skillVM
skillVM is a national platform for students to demonstrate their visual merchandising, creative and technical skills in a live competition environment in the search for the best of the best in VM. Designed by Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for Retail, it promotes skills across the retail sector, develops creative flair and showcases excellence. It is part of the WorldSkills UK portfolio of skills competitions in association with UK Skills.
skillVM is exclusively open to students. It showcases young talent and allows industry to get more involved. The competition challenges student competitors to design an outstanding window display for the chance to create a 3D mock up at the live heats in spring and be selected to build their displays on a full size scale at the UK finals which take place at the In-Store Show in summer.
Be a part of it
Skillsmart Retail, the Sector Skills Council for retail, established and developed the visual merchandising competition, skillVM. To date the competition has seen three successful national competition cycles, competitor participation at Euroskills 2010 and the establishment of visual merchandising as a demonstration competition for WorldSkills London 2011, following intense international lobbying.
Unfortunately, due to recent changes in funding arrangements, Skillsmart Retail will not be in a position to run the competition during the 2011-12 cycle. Skillsmart Retail will, however, use this period to investigate other opportunities to develop the competition in future years and will continue to work closely with WorldSkills UK to this end.
