WorldSkills UK LIVE, a spectacular three-day event (previously known as the Skills Show), is set to take place at the NEC in Birmingham from 15-17 November.

The UK’s largest skills, apprenticeships and careers event is expected to welcome more than 70,000 students, teachers and parents during the course of the three days.

The event hosts the national skills competition, in which the UK’s top apprentices and college students compete for the opportunity to represent the UK in international competition.

WorldSkills and thrills

The national competition winners will be announced on Saturday. Last month, Team UK finished ninth in EuroSkills Budapest. The next international competition will be WorldSkills Kazan 2019, which will take place in August in Russia.

As well as the competitions, the event showcases the skills-based opportunities available across industry, including demonstrations and a chance to get hands-on experience of new skills.

There will also be a series of events for teachers and parents. Guests expected to attend include apprenticeships and skills minister Anne Milton, as well as shadow FE minister Gordon Marsden.

Tickets going fast

Organisers have said that the first two days of the free event are completely “sold out”, although tickets are still available for the Saturday.

Dr Neil Bentley, chief executive of WorldSkills UK, said he wanted young people to think of skills as “chic not geek”.

He added: “We have created a live and interactive immersive experience to unlock tens of thousands of rewarding pathways to the world of work. WorldSkills UK LIVE is a new, fresh concept incorporating careers advice, entertainment, information, face-to-face exchanges with businesses and have-a-go-at skills.”

Also in attendance will be TV’s Dr Alex George, fresh from his stint on Love Island, who is preparing to promote a career in the NHS at WorldSkills UK Live.

What else to keep an eye out for

• Team UK: Fresh from their success at EuroSkills 2018 in Budapest, Team UK competitors will attend the event with the hope of inspiring the next generation to get involved in skills competitions.
• Ada Lovelace: An extraordinary tribute to the 19th century mathematician and writer who is believed to have played a vital role in the design of the first "computer". Her story will be told through a performance, using an electronic dress and a virtual algorithm.
• The Rapscientist: Jon Chase from South Wales has a passion for scientific thinking, and believes that knowledge should be made available in a way that allows as many people as possible the opportunity to gain access to it.
• The Glam Scientist: Amy King is an inspirational figure who has been obsessed with science since the age of 6. She works alongside the Royal Society of Chemistry and has started her own charity, GlamSci, to encourage more women to enter the profession.

To book tickets, go to the WorldSkills UK Live website.