CAREERS IN BEAUTY TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT THE SKILLS SHOW
9 February 2016: For many young people, a career in beauty has huge appeal – but without access to
specialist training, they often lack the contacts or opportunities to take their dreams forward. The Skills
Show, the UK’s largest skills and careers event, which took place between the 14th and 16th November
2013 at the NEC Birmingham presented the very best opportunities available to all those wanting to get
their foot in the door in the beauty industry. The unique event celebrates and promotes the vital importance
of skills to economic growth in the UK, and provides visitors with hands-on experiences that inspire young
people to explore further education, skills and apprenticeships.
The Skills Show provided more than 82,000 visitors with the chance to discover more about a variety of
industries, ranging from beauty to building, floristry and forensic science. One of the event’s most popular
activities was a series of more than 50
“Have a Go” opportunities, which provided visitors with the
opportunity to try a new activity, such as nail art or hairdressing, for themselves. At this year’s event,
beauty proved particularly popular, with thousands of young people interacting with businesses and
educational institutions, such as South Thames College, which provided extensive information about career
and education opportunities in beauty and media make-up – giving a picture of just how wide the
opportunities really are.
South Thames College was one of a number of colleges showcasing its students’ talents at the event.
Working in front of a live audience, students demonstrated work from their VTCT courses, including a
1920s look, which involved styling hair, make-up and outfits. Students and lecturers were also on hand to
discuss how make–up and hair are key elements in the overall design of films, television and theatre
productions with visitors to the event.
South Thames College students also demonstrated their prosthetic skills on visitors, giving them the
chance to “Have a Go” at creating some unique media make-up looks, including screen-worthy “wounds”
for themselves. Students also showed the crowds how make-up techniques can be used to create a
convincing “zombie look”.
The Skills Show also played host to more than 60 WorldSkills UK competition finals, where the most
talented students in the country battled it out in skills from hairdressing to bricklaying and aromatherapy to
win medals in a selection of disciplines.
19-year-old Tia Williams-Robinson, a student at South Thames College, competed in the WorldSkills UK
media make-up competition. Working to a glam punk brief she designed the hair, make-up and outfit for her
model. She commented: “Being in the spotlight and showcasing my skills has been an unforgettable
experience. My tutor would always say how good my work was, but I never really believed it until I came
first in the regional heats. Since then I’ve had so much more belief in my abilities and it’s made me want to
push myself and take my skills to the next level.”
She continued: “Media make-up is an exciting career path because it’s creative, hands-on and always
evolving. The competition has been fantastic for raising the profile of the industry and the unique skills
involved in the job. It shows people that being a media make-up artist is an acquired skill and not as easy
as it might look.”
Ross Maloney, The Skills Show’s Chief Executive, comments: “Attitudes towards vocational training and
education are changing, with young people keen to investigate all avenues available to them before
embarking on their career paths. The Skills Show is an amazing showcase for the nation’s vast variety of
skills, especially in the beauty industry, and I know that the team behind the event will be working hard
during the coming months to ensure that next year’s event continues to inspire and engage with a new
generation of skilled individuals.”
The impact of the Birmingham event will now be extended by The Skills Show Experience, a nationwide
programme of over 220 events throughout the year which will reach over 200,000 young people across the
country. Running from November 2013 to December 2014, The Skills Show Experience will be supported
by the European Social Fund, with additional funding from the Skills Funding Agency and the involvement
of the National Careers Service. The programme takes the winning combination of inspiring young people
through hands-on experiences and access to expert impartial careers advice, as delivered at The Skills
Show national event, but does this around the country, linking skills to real opportunities at a local level.
More information can be found at www.theskillsshow.com.
- ENDS For more information, please contact Amy Gregory, Ella Sykes or Alex Witham at Manifest
Communications on 0113 242 9174/email theskillsshow@manifestcomms.co.uk, or Rona Hunnisett
at The Skills Show on 020 3740 8241 /email rhunnisett@theskillsshow.com.
NOTES TO EDITORS: Free to attend, The Skills Show is the nation’s largest skills and careers event
which provides hands-on experiences that inspire young people to explore further education, skills and
apprenticeships. The 2014 event will take place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 13-15 November 2014.
The Skills Show is the culmination of more than 60 WorldSkills UK national competitions, staging the finals
and providing a platform for the best of the nation’s young talent to perform. Visitors will also have the
chance to Have a Go at a wide variety of work-based skills, get impartial advice from careers professionals
and speak to a range of employers, colleges and training providers. Spotlight stages throughout the event
will allow visitors to get an insider’s view of different industries, hearing from ‘real people doing real jobs’.
College students from across the UK will also inspire and entertain visitors with Showcase demonstrations
and performances across a wide range of work-based skills. Representatives from leading employer
brands, the National Careers Service, Job Centre Plus and the National Apprenticeship Service will be on
hand to discuss training and employment opportunities.
The show provides an unrivalled skills experience, displaying the wide range of vocational careers on offer
in the UK, from media to publishing, to retail to healthcare.
City & Guilds, Edge Foundation and Premier Colleges are premier sponsors of The Skills Show, with the
Skills Funding Agency and the European Social Fund as the event’s funding partners.