WorldSkills UK
WorldSkills UK is the UK's premier set of skills competitions for young people and adults. They are run every year covering around 60 different skills competitions within five main sectors:
• Built Environment
• Cultural and Creative Arts
• Engineering
• Information Technology and Business Administration
• Professional, Social, Public and Hospitality Services
Both regional and national competitions are run each year in the UK with the aim to help lift standards of training and performance by promoting world-class skills and international competitiveness.
Covering sectors from engineering to IT, and the arts to professional services; each skills competition has specific entry requirements to do with age, extent of work experience and/or skill level. Each competition requires competitors to complete a series of tasks to demonstrate the skills they have developed in their chosen field – skills that are essential to be successful in the workplace.
Competitors in Forensic Science are asked to carry out actions and processes in accordance with the National Occupational Standards in Policing and Forensic Science and apply specific knowledge to the tasks set out for them.
Previous competitions have asked competitors to carry out crime scene examinations in cell blocks, streets and generic rooms. These processes include identifying, recording and recovering the evidence with the use of scene logs, creating forensic investigation strategies and writing statements of evidence. The competitors have previously been required to create presentations, posters and present their evidence in court.
HAVE YOU "SCENE" THE MEDAL
"It feels absolutely amazing to be awarded gold! I'm so proud of myself for pushing myself to do something that felt a little scary. But I would do it all again! It's a brilliant feeling that doesn't come along that often!" - Chloe Walsh
Students who are currently studying towards a qualification in Forensic Science from college level BTEC National Diploma to university level BSc will apply for entry from spring onwards; those who are successful in their application will be required to attend a heat which will be local to them and are carried out at various institutes around the UK. The heats are based in locations reducing bias, such as colleges and Universities, or (hopefully in 2016) Home Office facilities. Those who have recently completed training and are within the first year of the industry can also apply to take part in the competition. There is no upper age limit for the national competition, only the international. Competitors do need to be over 16.
The heats is devised to test the competitors in a number of areas and extend their knowledge base. They have previously been required to design and deliver a poster or PowerPoint presentation, attend a mock practical crime scene and work in a laboratory setting.
Approximately 10 of the highest scoring students from across all the heats will then be invited to attend the finals which are held annually at the NEC Birmingham in November. In the finals; the competitors carry out another practical crime scene in a similar way to the one they carried out in the heats and again demonstrate the use of lab specific equipment. This takes place over the course of three days. Previously they have delivered posters or PowerPoint presentations as well as attending a court in the NEC. Each year the competition design differs and is capable of being designed to encourage support from organisations such as Cellmark.
All these aspects are judged on site by various working practitioners who will independently mark all competitors, these marks are then discussed between the judges to ensure a fair marking scheme has been applied.
The available awards handed out to the competitors include Gold, Silver and Bronze for the top 3 highest scoring individuals. In addition to this the scores of all competitors are calculated into an average and anyone scoring above this receives a Highly Commended award. Since 2015 a small cash prize has also been awarded to the Gold Medal winner.
Complete Forensics are a not for profit organization dedicated to the delivery and continually raising of standards in Forensic Science education.
Complete Forensics educate and improve the availability of training within Forensics Science vocational and academic courses, whilst also striving to increase participation and inclusion and has been the official organizing partner for the Forensic Science competition on behalf of Find A Future, within their WorldSkills UK program since 2013.
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