College Students Bring Home the Medals

25/03/2025

Almost 80 Pembrokeshire College students stormed the finals of this year’s Skills Competition Wales competitions with an incredible 39 securing medals – cementing their status as some of the most talented young professionals in the country!

With 60 diverse competitions on offer, Skills Competition Wales aims to ignite passion and develop expertise in the next generation of skilled workers while celebrating their outstanding achievements.

Over 1,000 learners from colleges, universities and private training providers took part in the competitions across 20 industry sectors. Pembrokeshire College students showcased their expertise in an array of disciplines, from culinary arts to horticulture, childcare and media production.

Their hard work and dedication paid off spectacularly at the awards ceremony held at Swansea Arena, hosted by Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales, where 39 Pembrokeshire College students were announced as medal winners securing 10 gold, 16 silver and 13 bronze medals. A further 17 learners received Highly Commended certificates.

At the ceremony, Welsh Government Minister for Skills, Jack Sargeant, helped hand out awards for the best in each region and commented: “Vocational training is close to my heart and Skills Competition Wales offers young people a great chance to test themselves and develop their skills.

“Our government prioritises supporting youths towards promising futures and competitions such as this encourages them to push boundaries constructively. Meeting 2024 WorldSkills medallists, I’ve seen how these competitions advance careers – I’m confident this new talent will be equally successful. Congratulations to all competitors and good luck to those representing Wales nationally and beyond.”

With the WorldSkills UK national finals coming to Wales November 2025, many of these high-achieving learners are now setting their sights on competing at an even higher level, ready to prove they are among the very best in the UK.

Reflecting on the students’ incredible accomplishments, Pembrokeshire College Principal, Dr Barry Walters, expressed his immense pride: “The achievements of our learners places them amongst the most talented young people in Wales and gives them a unique platform on which to continue to grow and develop their skills even further developing them into the highly skilled workers that are needed for the future of the economy.”

With ambition running high and new challenges on the horizon, Pembrokeshire College’s medal-winning students have set the bar for excellence – proving that with skill, determination, and passion, anything is possible!