We are delighted to share that two Bury College T Level students have been announced as finalists in the WorldSkills UK competition.

Baker Altimimi and Kien Grundy are two of 500 students across the UK that will be battling it out in November to be crowned national skills champions.

Over 6,000 people registered to take part in the UK-wide competitions back in March. The finalists will compete for gold, silver and bronze from 13-17 November, with the winners crowned at an awards ceremony at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on Friday 17 November.

National Finalists for 2023 announced! - WorldSkills UK

Baker and Kien have taken part in the IT Support Technician portion of the competition. The first stage of this was an online quiz that asked them to answer several questions ranging from multiple-choice to essay-style answers.

The second stage was at Oldham College. They had to administer a server via virtualisation (a server running inside a computer) and then set this up before troubleshooting different scenarios. Luckily for the pair, much of this was covered on the Occupational Specialism part of their Digital T Level course.  

Ben Blackledge, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, WorldSkills UK said: “I want to offer my congratulations to all those that took part in our programme this year, especially the finalists.”

Kien, formerly of The Derby High School, is delighted to have reached this stage. He said: “As this was my first event, I didn’t know what to expect. Getting through to the finals has boosted my confidence in the topic, and it also gives me a chance to develop further and test my skills as I try to become a medallist in the competition.”

Baker was also happy with his progress, the former Hazel Wood High School pupil, added: “I am pleased to have progressed to this stage. He also believes the course has helped him develop his skills: “The course has given me all the experience I will need to succeed now and in the industry.”

T Levels at Bury College are designed to equip you with the practical skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary for skilled employment or progress to further study. Click here to find out more.