Students from Southern Regional College recently showcased their scientific talent at a Northern Ireland wide Inter-College competition testing laboratory skills. With students pairing up to compete, it was Armagh campus, Applied Science Level 3 Extended Diploma students Chloe King (19) from Keady and Edward Knipe (19) from Armagh, who stood out for their technical ability, teamwork and problem-solving skills, securing a second-place finish.
Faced with an unseen challenge, students were tasked with extracting natural pH indicators from red cabbage and turmeric. They then used these indicators to determine which was most effective in identifying the neutralisation point in a reaction between hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide, demonstrating the potential of natural alternatives to synthetic indicators.
With just 3 hours to complete a full risk assessment, plan and carry out experiments, analyse findings, competitors were pushed to manage their time. Working under pressure students were required to cover every aspect of the challenge, while maintaining precision and accuracy throughout.
Judges were observing and marking students on a wide range of skills. This included students’ task management, communication skills, technical execution, plus their ability to process, analyse, and evaluate experimental data. Ultimately students were assessed on how they problem solved a task using scientific methods and applied chemistry trends.
Top-performing students were awarded Amazon vouchers for their efforts. Chloe and Edward are now setting their sights on the WorldSkills UK competition series, where they hope to build on this success at a national level.
Dr Deirdre Murray, Specialist Lecturer at Southern Regional College commented:
“Chloe and Edward delivered an outstanding performance in a highly demanding environment. They showed real confidence in the lab, working well together as a team, and approached the challenge with the kind of critical thinking and precision we aim to develop in all our students. Achieving second place against such strong competition is a fantastic accomplishment and one we are proud off.”
