The Manchester College enjoys success at the GM Skills Competitions
Students from The Manchester College are once again celebrating after securing multiple awards in the 2026 Greater Manchester Colleges’ GM Skills Competitions.
Each year, students from all nine further education colleges across Greater Manchester take part in the subject‑specific competitions, completing industry‑focused tasks and responding to professional briefs designed to stretch their technical skills, creativity and problem‑solving abilities.
This year, the College’s students achieved a remarkable set of results across a wide-range of subject areas, showcasing the breadth and depth of talent studying with the further education provider.
Students delivered standout performances in multiple disciplines, earning first‑place titles, specialist category wins and several top‑three finishes, including:
Automotive:
- Second place.
Computing and Digital:
- IT Support – First place
- Web Development – Second place.
Construction and Engineering:
- Level 2 Painters and Decorators – First place
- Level 2 Carpenters and Joiners – Second place
- Level 3 CAD – Second place
- Engineering maths – Third place.
Creative and Digital Media:
- TV and Film – First place
- Graphics – Third place
- Games – Third place.
Education and Early Years:
- First place.
Foundation Learning:
- Awarded the Most Sustainable Project.
Hair, Beauty and Make‑Up:
- Level 3 Nails – Second place
- Barbering – Third place
- Level 1 Beauty – Third place.
Health and Social Care:
- Anatomage – Second place.
Hospitality and Catering:
- Second place overall
- Level 2 Cookery – First place
- Front of House – Second place
- Foundation Skills – Second place
- Level 3 Cookery and Pastry – Third place.
Music:
- Level 3 – First place.
Performing Arts:
- Level 3 Music – First place
- Level 3 Musical Theatre – Second place
- Level 3 Acting – Second place.
Sport:
- Basketball – First place
- Overall Sport – Fourth place.
Visual Arts:
- Art – First place
- Photography – First place
- Fashion – Third place.
Rachel Curry, Principal of the College, said: “The GM Skills Competitions give students from across Greater Manchester a brilliant platform to stretch themselves, develop their technical expertise and earn recognition for their exceptional abilities. We’re incredibly proud of every student who represented our College this year and their creativity, dedication and professionalism are reflected in these outstanding results.”
Rachel continued:
Our students continually demonstrate the industry‑standard skills, drive and ambition that make our College such an inspiring and rewarding place to learn. These achievements highlight both the strength of our curriculum and the real‑world talent our students are building for their future careers.
“Of course all of this is only possible due to our wonderful team of tutors who have shown great commitment in preparing our students for the competition and enabling them to perform to such a high standard. Their dedication to equipping our students with the skills they need not only to win so many prizes in competitions such as these but also for successful future careers is second to none and I would like to thank them for their efforts.”
The GM Skills Competitions aim to raise the profile of technical education across Greater Manchester, providing students, apprentices and trainees with a platform to benchmark their skills against others in their field and gain valuable experience in industry‑aligned challenges.
Explore the courses available at The Manchester College and apply today.