As someone who has now spent many years working in further education, I’m constantly reminded of the transformative power of real-world experiences.
This was never clearer than at this year’s HRC Food, Drink & Hospitality Week at ExCeL London, where more than 20 of our Hospitality and Food Studies students stepped into one of the industry’s most high‑profile arenas and absolutely rose to the occasion.
Watching our students compete in live skills competitions, shoulder‑to‑shoulder with peers from colleges, apprenticeship programmes and industry training schemes, is a powerful reminder of why competitions matter.
They demand focus, professionalism and resilience.
They push students to apply their skills under pressure. And most importantly, they give young people a genuine taste of what it means to perform at industry level.
From the early morning preparations to the final presentations, our students demonstrated exactly why Barking & Dagenham College is so proud of them.
Their dishes were creative, technically strong and beautifully executed.
One of our returning competitors, who previously achieved three Silver awards at HRC, once again set the bar high - a testament to the dedication and ambition that runs through our college.
But HRC is far from the only competition our students take part in.
At the college, competitions are embedded into our curriculum and form a vital part of our ethos.
We regularly host our own Skills Shows on campus, where students from construction, digital, engineering, business, hair and beauty, hospitality and more, take part in live challenges that mirror real workplace scenarios.
Beyond this, our students travel across the country to compete in prestigious events such as WorldSkills UK, where they test themselves against the very best emerging talent in their fields.
These experiences are about far more than trophies. They build confidence. They raise aspirations, they change behaviours. The impact of competitions on students can be profound.
Not only that, but they also showcase talent to employers who are actively seeking the next generation of skilled professionals.
Competitions help students understand industry expectations, develop resilience, and discover strengths they didn’t know they had. They also place our students directly in front of judges, employers and industry leaders who can open doors to apprenticeships, employment and further training.
As educators, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a young person realise just how far their skills can take them.
At Barking & Dagenham College, we’ll continue to champion competitions, because they give students every opportunity to shine.
- Michael Frederick is curriculum manager for Food Studies at Barking & Dagenham College (barkingdagenhamcollege.ac.uk).
