Vocational training in the UK needs to put more emphasis on excellence says a report by the Learning and Skills Development Agency and UK Skills.

The report, From Competence to Excellence, examined the UK's approach to post-16 training in a range of areas. It found that while this training produces many competent young people, few of them have high quality skills.

The report suggests that the attributes needed to succeed in competitions could also be used to raise young people's skills. These include motivation, the ability to work under pressure, planning and good social and communication skills.

At Llandrillo College, changes were made to the hospitality and tourism curriculum to give students extra hours to strengthen their theoretical understanding of the subject and improve their practical skills, and additional courses were given on personal grooming and deportment.

The personal appearance of students improved significantly throughout the course and their confidence grew, leading to increased satisfaction.

'We need to set much higher standards, reshape attitudes and develop students' all round abilities if we are to raise our performance as a nation,' says Linda Ammon of UK Skills. Details: +44 (0)20 7297 9017