This week, EKC Ashford College students showcased their talents at the KFE4Skills competition, an annual event bringing together Colleges from across the region to compete in a wide range of vocational and technical skills challenges.
This year’s event, endorsed by WorldSkills UK, saw 10 of our students competing in a range of skills competitions, including Beauty Therapy, Business, Digital Video Production, Electrical Installation, Fashion and Photography Makeup, Hairdressing, Musical Performance, and Plumbing across three days.
Kiah Spurle | Music Performance | Gold Medallist
Kiah is a Level 3 UAL Music Performance and Production student. Wowing judges with her performance, Kiah finished the competition in first place, securing a gold medal.
Kiah has always had a deep passion for music, a love that started with listening to music with her dad when she was younger. She likes to sing a blend of Folk, Rock, and Jazz, covering iconic artists like Joni Mitchell with her own unique flair.
When chatting with Kiah before her award-winning performance she told us: “I have performed in the past, but this is my first time performing as part of a competition, I am, really excited.
“I am looking forward to hearing everybody else, I am excited to meet some new people and bond with them over our different music tastes.
“My tutors are rooting for me, and I hope to make the College proud. My main goal in the future is to release my own music”
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Charlie Denice | Digital Video Production | Gold Medallist
Charlie is a Level 3 UAL Creative Media Production and Technology student. His task was to create a film which was to be submitted before the competition which would then been shown and pitched to the judge. He also had to complete an editing challenge on the day of the competition.
Just before impressing judges and securing first place in the competition Charlie shared: “I struggle to finish a film once I have started so this competition has helped me to meet deadlines.
“I like making music and I also like making the videos. I would like to make a full feature film in the next 6 months. My mum features in all my movies, maybe one day I can pay her!”
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Sonya Daniels | Hairdressing – Avant Garde | Gold Medallist
Sonya is a Level 3 Woman’s Hairdressing student. As an adult learner she was apprehensive about returning to education and put off enrolling for four years! Once Sonya started her Hairdressing course, she realised she had no need to be nervous and has been a fantastic addition to the College.
In the initial heats of the competition, Sonya showcased her newly acquired Hairdressing skills and advanced to this round. Her impressive Avant Garde look earned her first place in the competition!
We asked Sonya what skills this competition has helped her with, she told us: “My confidence levels in hairdressing have really improved because the pressure that these competitions put you under is quite intense and you have to get on and complete your look.
“It’s a really valuable skill that I’m learning.”
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Staff were also full of praise for the students’ efforts and the event. Shane Le Mar, Programme Director of Media and Music, said: “This event gives the students something bigger to aim for and puts them into a real-life scenario with a strict deadline.
“Charlie is our probably our most independent film maker in Media, he will do anything for a shot! He is doing a fabulous job in this competition.
“This project has helped my student work on his project management skills, he usually has 1000 projects on the go and struggles to finish them. This has given him something to focus on.”
EKC Ashford College medallists
| Medal | Student Name | Skills Competition |
| Gold | Kiah Spurle | Music Performance |
| Gold | Charlie Denice | Digital Video Production |
| Gold | Jude Smythe | Plumbing |
| Gold | Morgan Huckstepp | Hairdressing – Bridal |
| Gold | Sonya Daniels | Hairdressing – Avant Garde |
| Gold | Ster Bahram and Taylor Ishmael | Business |
| Silver | Taddy Machabvunga | Plumbing |
| Silver | Lacey Head | Fashion and Photography Makeup |
| Silver | Lauren Shephard | Beauty Therapy – Hands and Face |
KFE4Skills is endorsed by WorldSkills UK. WorldSkills UK is an organisation who aims to help the UK become a ‘skills economy’ by embedding world-class training standards across the UK through competitions, assessments and bench marking. Their key goals are to raise standards, champion future skills and empower young people.
KFE4Skills aims to celebrate technical excellence and prepare students for industry careers. The live skills competitions are an opportunity for students to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they have acquired during their course with judges choosing the top three in each category. Participants gain valuable experience they can put on their CV and finalists can progress to regional and national competitions such as WorldSkills UK.
We are incredibly proud of all the students who took part, showcasing not only their technical expertise but also their creativity, teamwork and resilience. Congratulations to all participants.
Parisa Shirazi, Director of Standards, WorldSkills UK said: “It is fantastic to be working with EKC Group on this exciting new programme.
“Skills competitions are one of the best ways to develop and assess high-quality technical skills and this framework will ensure more students/ apprentices at the College can benefit through competition-based learning which is designed to help meet rapidly changing employer needs in existing and emerging industries.”
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