FOUR Bradford College students are in with a chance of making it to the national finals of an IT skills contest after picking up awards at the regional heats.

The quartet of computing students enjoyed success at the Yorkshire heats of the Information Technology WorldSkills competition.

The contest, held at Bradford College, saw further and higher education computing students compete in categories testing their skills in various IT skills.

Sohaib Ashraf finished first in the network systems administration category. Jamal Anjum took the title for Extended Diploma Networking and Systems Support Network Infrastructure Technician. Hamza Kumran celebrated coming first in the IT Support Technician contest. And, in the IT Software Solutions for Business section, Mohammad Usmaan Ali took first place.

The competition tested a range of skills, from Microsoft Excel, through to Advanced Server 2012 Configuration alongside Advanced Networking principles such as Cisco Routing and Switching Networking skills.

The scores for each of the competitors will be compiled and compared with the competitors from all the other heats around the country and the final results will be published late July. The top eight competitors from each competition will then be invited to compete in the National Finals at WorldSkills Live in Birmingham in November.

Steven Clay, IT Lecturer at Bradford College, said: “The WorldSkills competition has huge benefits for students. It is a nationally recognised competition and allows students to pit their skills against students from around the country. All of the competitions are linked to real-life work scenarios and help to improve employability skills.”

WorldSkills is a skills competition designed to boost the prestige of vocational education and apprenticeships and help students improve their technical and employability skills

Through a series of regional heats, the best students in the UK are selected and then get the chance to compete against the best in the rest of the world.

Details on the college's computer courses can be found on the college website, by calling 01274 433 333 or by attending the next open event on July 7.