Students Highly Commended in WorldSkills UK Competitions

Two students from SERC Lisburn Campus have been Highly Commended in the national WorldSkills UK competitions.  

Level 3 Patisserie and Confectionery student Joanne Barlow (26), from Dromara was Highly Commended in the Confectionery competition which was hosted in the City of Glasgow.

Joanne said, “This was my first competition and my first show piece, so there were many techniques I needed to perfect to ensure a good standard as everything in the design was made from chocolate. My show piece was designed to hold 24 chocolate bon bons. The base was made with milk, white and ruby chocolate held in a dark chocolate, so it looked like marble and the central column was made of a stack of large chocolate pebbles which I brushed with black cocoa butter and a bronze powder and finished with a large pink flower with green leaves and spirals.”

Peter Smylie (22), a Level 3 Fire & Security Apprentice, from Moira, was Highly Commended in the competition for the Electronic Security Systems title which took place in Warrington.   Peter is employed by Beacon Fire & Security in Lisburn.

Peter said, “I was delighted to be Highly Commended. It was a tough competition, and you knew all the time everyone was at the top of their game.   It was a fantastic experience to take part and great to meet up with other young people who, like myself, are apprentices carving out a career in the industry.”

Ken Webb, Principal and Chief Executive of SERC said, “We are incredibly proud of both Joanne Barlow and Peter Smylie who achieved Highly Commended awards in the WorldSkills UK competitions. We are thrilled that they had occasion to showcase their skills, learning and talents at national level.”

Congratulations to Joanne and Peter from everyone in SERC.

Click here to see the full list of finalists and medallists, watch the virtual ceremony and register your interest for taking part in competitions in 2022.