New City College hosts Brickwork and Maths & English challenges for Greater London Skills Competition

Building walls and breaking codes – students test their skills in the city’s biggest inter-college contest

Students from across the capital put their skills to the test this week as New City College hosted two exciting competitions as part of the Greater London Skills Competition – the largest inter-college skills event in London.

The competition brought together 15 further education colleges, with events hosted at eight of them. Endorsed by WorldSkills UK, the initiative showcased the exceptional talent of London’s learners and highlighted the vital role colleges play in developing the industry-ready skills needed to tackle workforce shortages across sectors such as construction, engineering, healthcare, science and digital industries.

The week-long programme of skills challenges – which coincided with Colleges Week, a national celebration of the vital role colleges play in transforming lives and driving local and national growth – included a wide range of subject areas, from Beauty and Cyber Security to Hospitality and Engineering.

New City College was proud to host the Brickwork Skills Competition on Monday at its Rainham Construction and Engineering Campus and the Maths and English Competition on Tuesday at Redbridge Campus, both organised and delivered by NCC staff.

Brickwork students showcase precision and craftsmanship

The Brickwork Skills Competition challenged competing students to complete a complex brickwork task within a four-hour time limit.

Designed to test precision, technique and time management, the task required competitors to carefully plan and construct a detailed brick structure while being assessed by a panel of external professionals.

They had to follow drawings, measure accurately, demonstrate competence with tools, keep their work stations clean and tidy, and adhere to health and safety rules at all times.

Two NCC students represented the college in the competition – Rylee Hooker and Aidan Hennem-Morrissey – competing against some of the best young bricklayers in London.

After an intense day of building and judging, Aidan Hennem-Morrissey, below, was crowned the winner of the Level 1 competition, while Oliver Thorne-Ford, second photo below, from London South East Colleges took first place in the Level 2 category.

The event was sponsored by Grayson Building Products, with judges from Super Trowel, Lee Marley Brickwork, GSQ Brickwork and Joe Short assessing the students’ work.

Steve Brayshaw, Group Curriculum Director for Construction and Engineering at New City College, said the competition highlighted the impressive technical ability of the students.

He said: “This was a fantastic competition with some extremely skilled students who showed off their talents brilliantly. Bricklaying is incredibly skilful – if you have a chance to try it anytime, it’s really not that easy! Bricklaying is all about training and planning, and you need to be physically fit. It sets you up for a fantastic career, as it is one of the most highly paid jobs in construction.”

Not only are these types of inter-college competitions beneficial for students’ development, they also highlight the role of skills and elevate their importance to a broader audience, shining a spotlight on the current strong demand for skilled bricklayers.

Industry data shows that many construction firms are struggling to recruit, with thousands of bricklayer vacancies across the UK and a significant need for new workers entering the sector in the coming years.

Maths and English competition puts problem-solving to the test

On Tuesday, NCC’s Redbridge Campus hosted a brand new Maths and English competition, the first WorldSkills-style event for these essential subjects.

Developed and organised by NCC staff, the innovative challenge brought together teams of four students who are currently studying GCSE English and maths, giving them the chance to apply their skills in creative, fun and practical ways.

Students from several London colleges took part in a series of activities throughout the day designed to test mathematical accuracy, communication, vocabulary, inference and problem-solving skills.

The morning included a Countdown-style numbers challenge, vocabulary tasks and mathematical puzzle-solving exercises, while the afternoon saw teams take part in an immersive ‘Vault Zero’ escape-room style challenge, set during a fictional zombie outbreak.

Working in teams, students had to unlock clues hidden around the campus library, analyse limited supplies in a survival vault and use mathematical modelling to decide how long their resources could last. They were also required to make ethical decisions about who could enter the vault and justify their reasoning to judges in a final pitch explaining their strategy and calculations.

Representing New City College were Gurkrishan Bhaker, Erica Martins, Rabia Tahir and Favour Awoyinfa, who competed enthusiastically throughout the day. The competition was ultimately won by a team from Newham College.

Nancy Hodgson-Khan, Interim Deputy Principal at Redbridge Campus, said: “This event was absolutely outstanding. The visiting students and staff were full of praise for the content and organisation of the competition. The English and maths activities were fun, creative and thought-provoking and the students really threw themselves into the escape-room challenge.”

She also praised the wider involvement of NCC students across the campus: “The guests were all really impressed that the event was supported by our own students, all the way from the food served in our Rouge Restaurant, to the video clips made in media and the performing arts students bringing the zombies to life and breaking the news of the live activity.”

Celebrating skills and collaboration across London

The Greater London Skills Competition has demonstrated how collaboration between colleges can help raise standards in technical education while inspiring learners to excel in their chosen fields.

By giving students the chance to compete against their peers, the competition has helped develop confidence, technical ability and the professional skills needed to succeed once these young people are out in the workplace.

Winners from all subject areas will be recognised at a special awards ceremony at City Hall, celebrating the outstanding talent and achievements of students from across London.

Want to take advantage of these incredible opportunities?

New City College offers a huge range of courses designed to help you develop skills for careers. Whether you’re interested in construction, digital industries, healthcare, sport or creative subjects, there’s a course for you!

Apply now and start your journey at our Ofsted Outstanding college.