Posted on 10 November 2011
Farnham Sixth Form College students with their innovative touch screen computer
The world’s largest international skills competition saw students from Guildford, Merrist Wood and Farnham Sixth Form Colleges showcasing groundbreaking technologies and creative crafts.
WorldSkills London 2011 took place at ExCel London from 5-8 October. It saw people from across the globe competing to be the best in their chosen skill, with over 150,000 visitors attending the event. Students from the Guildford College Group were amongst a select few to be chosen from literally hundreds of applications to attend the international showcase.
Graphic Design Tutor Paul Clarke put Guildford College on the global stage by inviting people to create a ‘Digital Forest’. Visitors drew trees on an iPad, iMac, Nintendo DSI XL or by hand and became part of a worldwide project to create a virtual forest. Six very prominent artists joined Paul and his students on the showfloor. Last year Paul put Guildford College on the global stage with a groundbreaking roadshow bringing mobile digital artists from around the world together.
Students from Farnham Sixth Form College, led by Head of IT Rachel Connor, showcased a multi-touch surface computer. Built on a tight budget using mainly recycled materials and open source software it featured animations and computer games that visitors to the event could try out. The computer has a giant touch screen enabling several people to use it at the same time, making it into a social experience.
Other highlights included Guildford College’s Performing Arts students doing a 20 minute display on the main stage, as created by tutor Karen Robinson and Merrist Wood’s award winning Floristry Department showcasing their skills and helping visitors to have a go at making their own creations.
One government official told teams from the Guildford College Group that they were “an example of excellence in education and had some of the busiest stands on the first day of the event.”
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