Waltham Forest College is one of three London colleges chosen to host the WorldSkills UK national finals next year. Hundreds of young people will compete to be named the country's best in their trade.
The college will host the health and hospitality competitions, along with foundation skills events for learners with additional needs.
The other two hosts are Capital City College's Mosaic@Soho campus, which will focus on digital, business and creative disciplines, and London South East Colleges' Bromley campus, which will host engineering, technology and construction.
The finals take place from 24 to 26 November 2027. Apprentices and students will compete in more than 40 disciplines across engineering, manufacturing, health and hospitality. Entries open next March.
The 2027 event will be the capital's biggest skills competition since London hosted the global WorldSkills competition in 2011. The national finals move to London in November, after this year's event in south Wales, where colleges and universities have hosted since 2025.
A route in for local students
London also runs its own Greater London skills competition every year, bringing together students from across the capital in 14 vocational disciplines. It is also a pathway to the national finals. Last year more than two dozen national finalists came from London's further education colleges, and they won two medals.
Mark Smallman, operations director at WorldSkills UK, said: "Bringing the WorldSkills UK National Finals back to London is a hugely significant moment for skills in the UK. Working with the Mayor of London and our host colleges, we're proud to shine a spotlight on the exceptional talent of apprentices and technical education students from London and across the UK, showcasing the high-level, work-ready skills that employers need and inspiring the next generation to see where skills can take them."
Howard Dawber, the Greater London Authority's deputy mayor for business and growth, said: "The WorldSkills UK National Finals is an exciting event showcasing London's talented students and apprentices in sectors that are key to the capital's growth, and I'm delighted that London will host this prestigious competition for the next two years."
