FOUR Oldham College students have made it to this month’s WorldSkills UK finals.

The nationwide competition, designed by industry experts, assesses students’ employability attributes against set criteria.

Out of 71 competitors from Oldham College only Rabbani Khan, Ben Catherall, Lily Hardiker and Daniel Walker reached the finals.

Rabbani Khan, 20, is “very proud” to have reached the Web Design final after getting the highest marks in the North West contest.

He said: “It’s very exciting to be involved in WorldSkills UK. It has been an incredible opportunity to gain more experience and opens me up to more opportunities in the job world.”

Daniel Walker was meanwhile“shocked” to have made the Foundation Skills, Woodworking finals in his first-ever competition.

He said: “This has taught me new skills which I'd never used before and helped me improve on skills I already have. If I win, I'll be so happy - but totally gobsmacked.”

Ben Catherall, 20, is competing in the Graphic Design finals.

He said of the programme: “The opportunity to work with different companies and brands at each stage was so interesting and a lot of fun. I'm not sure what the brief for the final is yet, but I'm excited to get started.”

Another Graphic Design finalist is Lily Hardiker, a second year Oldham College student who will compete at MediaCityUK in Salford.

She said: “I’ve felt nervous at each stage but ended up really enjoying it. I’ve learned a lot from doing this, including marketing skills. WorldSkills also helped me realise what I want to do after Oldham College – the type of design work I’ve done in the competitions has been really creative, and it’s what I’d like to do in a job or at university.”

Alun Francis, Oldham College Principal and Chief executive, said: “We’re proud of every single learner who competed and each has gained invaluable experience that will supercharge their future careers.

“This is part of our commitment to delivering world-class skills provision for local benefit. It enables our staff to equip the next generation of talent to the very best standards – and will improve prospects for learners across every course and industry sector.”

Winners are set to be crowned at a ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern on Friday November 26.