Students showed off their skills to potential employers competing under pressure against their college classmates.

The skills show staged at Barking and Dagenham College was aimed at boosting their “employability”.

Industry experts and employers ran masterclasses, then judged competitions in beauty therapy, hair and makeup, biology, digital media and business management.

Electrical students had a wiring competition while applied science students did a biology lab investigation into heart rates.

Daniel Da Costa Lima, an 18-year-old from Romford, was a finalist in the electrical competition.

“I was completely nervous in front of the professional judges,” he admits.
“But it was probably one of my best days and that really means a lot.”

Beauty therapy and makeup students competed in face painting, hair and glitter plaiting, nail polish and hand massage and hair styling.

Business students organised charity fundraisers, competing to make the most money for the Macmillan cancer charity. Protective services students took part in outdoor problem-solving tasks.