Rotherham College Student Wins Gold at Worldskills

Rotherham College, part of the RNN Group, which also includes, North Notts College, Dearne Valley College and University Centre Rotherham (UCR), is proud to announce that Emalise Stanley won Gold at the recent Worldskills competitions and awards.

Emalise Stanley, 21, from Rotherham, practised for months – since February this year – to compete in four stages and travelled to Manchester last month to take part in the Worldskills final for Foundation Skills Hairdressing competition to win the coveted Gold award.

Emalise, who uses a wheelchair after being diagnosed with Functional Neurologica Disorder (FND), said:, “I really enjoyed the final competition in Manchester because every other competitor had a disability of some kind or an EHCP plan and it was like we were all in it together and so supportive of each other’s skills and talents.”

She continued, “Everyone was just so kind and encouraging and everyone was a winner really so I was so shocked when my name was called and still to this day re-watch the video over and over again, not believing that I was awarded the Gold.”

Katie Asgari, Curriculum Manager at Rotherham College, who worked with Emalise since February to help her practise her talents said, “Emalise is a courageous and inspiring young lady who has worked so hard this year and fully deserves to win this Gold award; we are all so proud of her.”

Worldskills competitions are the gold standard of skills excellence. They inspire young competitors to reach new heights, helping them turn their passion into a profession.

They inspire young people to develop a passion for skills and pursuing excellence, through competitions and promotions and develop skills through global training standards, benchmarking systems, and enhancing industry engagement.

Finally, they influence industry, government, and educators through cooperation and research — building a global platform of skills for all.