Graphic design students named as UK’s top young designers at this year’s WorldSkills UK competition
Two graphic design students from The Northern School of Art’s Middlesbrough campus have been crowned as the UK’s top young designers at the 2025 WorldSkills UK competition.
Second year UAL Graphic & Digital Design extended diploma student Jess Sweet won the gold medal and fellow second year Cambell Raine the silver at the event held in Cardiff on November 26 and 27 2025 – which celebrates and champions vocational skills.
Their success puts them in line to have two years of training and to represent the UK and compete at what is viewed as the Olympics of vocational skills at the international WorldSkills Competition being held in Japan in 2028.
This year’s competition attracted 286 entrants from all over the UK in the Graphic Design category with only seven making it into the final. This year was the first year that students from The Northern School of Art had entered and Jess and Cambell were the only entrants from North East competing in the Graphic Design final.
The two-day competition saw former Hurworth School student Jess, 17, and 17-year-old Cambell from Darlington respond to a live client brief from global media agency Wavemaker for the personal care product brand, Remington. Students were assessed on their technical and creative capabilities.
Gold medal winner, Jess, from Middleton St George, near Darlington, said: “This week has been unreal. Making it to the WorldSkills UK Graphic Design National Final was incredible on its own, but becoming a Gold Medallist and ranking No.1 in the UK still doesn’t feel real. Competing against 286 entrants and standing in the final seven, one of the few from the North, while representing my region and my college is something I’m unbelievably proud of.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me reach this moment: my tutors, my college, and the entire WorldSkills team. This experience has been genuinely unforgettable. Now I’m excited for the next chapter: I hope to be selected to join the international training programme, working towards representing the UK in the international final in Japan in 2028.”
Jess has some simple advice for anyone considering entering next year: “Just go for it! You’re not going to love every piece of work you create but you’re not every target audience, and someone out there will see the value in what you do. As creatives, it’s easy to lose confidence when comparing ourselves to others, but if you put everything into your work whether you think it’s ‘good’ or not you will be recognised.”
She added: “WorldSkills UK is incredibly well run. From the entry stage to the finals, the whole process mirrors real industry expectations and connects you with some truly amazing people. Not every project or brief will be your ideal, you will feel under pressure but that just means you care. It’s all part of the creative journey.”
Cambell who attended Hummersknot Academy before joining The Northern School of Art explained: “We worked in a studio set-up to create a guerrilla campaign to help promote more diverse hairstyles. It was such an amazing experience, spending the week in Cardiff competing alongside the best young graphic designers in the nation.
“I had so much fun competing and met so many amazing people. The whole event was challenging in a good way and really rewarding and I was able to use skills and techniques we have been taught on the course.
“I was so proud and happy with myself to even be a part of this, let alone get a silver medal in Graphic Design which I am over the moon about. The experience has definitely given me more confidence about going into the graphic design industry.”
The Northern School of Art’s Cluster Leader in charge of Graphic & Digital Design, Tom Burton, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Jess and Cambell.
“Staff, students and supporters across the school tuned in live to watch them triumph over 286 talented entrants from across the country. In the School’s first year entering the competition we were blown away by the success we achieved and extremely proud of the incredible talent and resilience shown by our students.
“The finals featured a demanding creative brief set by the Manchester-based agency, Wavemaker Global, and both students rose to the challenge with exceptional skill and creativity.
“Their dedication and hard work over the past 18 months have truly paid off. Huge congratulations to Jess, Cambell and the incredible teaching staff who supported them.”
To follow the progress of the students follow Jess Sweet on Instagram @madenorthstudio and Cambell Raine @rainegraphics_
The Northern School of Art’s UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma is Graphic & Digital Design is a two-year course designed for students who want to explore how ideas, messages, and emotions can be communicated visually. Using industry-standard software students explore specialisms such as branding, editorial, and digital design while building a personal portfolio that reflects their own style. Find out more HERE
