18th February 2025
BDC was a hotbed of activity when hundreds of employers and students convened for a day of competitions and activities.
The Skills Show provided an exciting platform for learners to compete against their classmates in a series of dynamic competitions across a wide range of subject areas. Industry experts and employers provided masterclasses and guest lectures throughout the day. Students could also drop in and explore other subjects in ‘Have a go’ sessions.
Employers were also encouraged to attend and witness the remarkable talent on display, providing them with the opportunity to connect with the skilled workforce of the future.
Around 60 competitions were held, ranging from an eSports tournament to a DNA extraction competition; the competitions were supported and sponsored by 32 companies including Citibank, The Royal College of Art and TfL.
Hospitality students prepared a two-course lunch for special guests and employers, which included the Mayor of Baking and Dagenham, Leader of LBBD Dominic Twomey, Councillors, Governors, the Department for Education and WorldSkills UK. They were treated to grilled salmon with pea puree and peanut butter brownie with homemade ice cream.
Catering student Autumn Deadman-Bartle, 17, enjoyed taking part and explained: “My job was serving food to the guests on the day. We were all very nervous, but ended up having a fun time and I hope I did well.”
Public Services students took part in a ‘Dog Handling Fire Hazard Detection Training Simulation’. The Fire Brigade Fire Investigations Team brought along their Fire Investigations Search Dog, Smokey. Three-year-old cocker spaniel Smokey is trained to find ignitable liquids such as petrol, diesel and paraffin.
Officers Paul Manning and Darren Woodhams hid several flammable liquids around the building and Smokey helped the students find them.
Public Services students Maisie Adams, 16, and Tobias Parsons, 17, who both would like to join the Fire Brigade, were thrilled to get the chance to meet the officers and Smokey and enthused: “It was so interesting to find out about a less familiar role in the Fire Brigade.”
Paul Manning was very impressed by the students, commenting: “It’s been really rewarding. The kids have asked very insightful questions; having an open mind is very important in fire investigation and the students showed that they certainly do have open minds.”
Fashion Students did a pop-up shop and produced a fashion magazine called Liberte. The competition for Level 3 students involved them creating designs, printing them onto heat transfer paper and then onto T-shirts, caps and tote bags. Level 2 were tasked with creating a double page spread for the magazine. The winners were the ones who did the best job of promoting them, including creating a website and selling the most at their shop.
Fashion student Serena Marshall, 17, reflected: “It was a good experience, it helps us build confidence.”
Budding lab technicians extracted vitamin C from orange juice in the science lab. They competed to extract vitamin C from different types of orange juice and orange juice drinks to discover which one had the most vitamin C in it.
Jaweria Ejaz who is doing a BTEC in Applied Science remarked: “Taking part in this Skills Show gave us the opportunity to experience science practically.”
In Photography, the competition was a street casting competition. They had one hour to go around campus and find people to take photos of; then they had to put together what’s called a ‘package’ (a PDF presentation of photos) for judging.
The judge for the photography competition was former Barking & Dagenham College alumnus Kareem Abdul, a freelance photographer in the fashion industry; Kareem studied for a BTEC and a degree at the College and left in 2012. He said: “They are so lucky to have these amazing facilities. These competitions help push them and challenge them and keep them motivated.”
Sasha Row won the photography competition and received her certificate from photography alumni Kareem Abdul and Katie Howie.
Those who were successful in the competitions received certificates and prizes and were honoured at a Celebration Event in the College’s Conference Centre. This included Hair & Beauty students who created fantastic hairstyles during the competition, such as Sophie Horton who won the Level 3 competition with her Avant Garde look and Grazina Khan who won the Level 2 competition with her ‘historical classic’ look.
18-year-old Sophie Horton did the hair of model Lily-Mae Kittridge age 18. She said it was amazing to win: “It gets you in the creative mode and it’s fun to work together and help each other out, wanting the best for each other. It was really exciting!”
Over 1200 students participated in the Skills Show. This incredible initiative provided learners with a valuable opportunity to showcase their technical skills, compete for prestigious prizes, and gain recognition from potential employers. It also served as an excellent steppingstone for those looking to progress to higher-level competitions at both local and national stages.
