WorldSkills UK Wales

Know your Glassware from your Silverware?

Then enter our competition now!

SkillsCompetition Wales is currently searching to find the best hospitality professional in restaurant service across Wales. Register by 18 December 2009 to ensure you are considered.

Regional heats are taking place at:

• Coleg Llandrillo, 12 January 2010
• Neath Port Talbot College, 28 January 2010
• Coleg Powys, 29 January 2010

The competition final will be held on 9th February 2010.

For more information, see our website or contact Dr. Shyam Patiar, Coleg Llandrillo by telephone 01492 542 316 or e-mail [email protected]

(Acknowledgements for use of photograph: UK Skills)

Help raise the profile of vocational skills, WorldSkills and skills competitions in Wales

BBC Young Professional of the Year

Have you seen this on TV? It’s a series of four stand alone programmes that follows some young talented professionals as they compete to win the BBC title of Young Professional of the Year.

It makes interesting viewing and gives a flavour of what it is like to compete in a competition and prove that you are one of the best in your field.

We missed the programme on Young Butcher of the Year. However, we caught the one on Young Mechanic of the Year. There are currently 6 days left to download this programme at BBC iPlayer. Why not take a look?

Young Hairdresser of the Year is next showing on Sunday 6 December and can be downloaded at BBC iPlayer for the next 8 days. Also look out for Young Chef of the Year which is getting its premier airing on BBC 3 on Monday 7 December at 10.30pm.

Feeling inspired? Think you’ve got what it takes? Or do you know someone who has the talent to compete with the best? Then visit our website to find out about WorldSkills UK competitions and skillscompetition Wales.

(Acknowledgements: thanks to the BBC for use of image)

Help raise the profile of vocational skills, WorldSkills and skills competitions in Wales

One for the Supporters!

We know that it takes dedication to compete at a WorldSkills International competition. It also helps enormously if you have the right support backing you all the way.

This is something that we wanted to acknowledge at last week’s National Training Awards. We took the opportunity to recognise Coleg Sir Gâr and Mercedes-Benz of Swansea for the support they gave Cliff Williams and Dean Jones on their journey to compete for Team UK at WorldSkills Calgary. The two organisations received special awards for their ‘Outstanding Commitment to Developing Excellence’. Congratulations both, this award is well deserved!

The event took place at Venue Cymru in Llandudno and as celebrations for achievements went on throughout the evening, there were also a number of demonstrations taking place showcasing high levels of vocational skills in action. Take a look at some of the photos that we’ve uploaded to flickr…

Help raise the profile of vocational skills, WorldSkills and skills competitions in Wales

Celebrations for Golden Brush Strokes - and more!

We spent the day in London yesterday at the WorldSkills UK 2009 Competition Awards. The event celebrated the fantastic achievements of gold medal winners from this year’s WorldSkills UK Competition cycle.

Held at London’s IMAX Cinema, celebrity chef James Martin was on hand to congratulate the crème-de-la-crème of this year’s talent pool.

Wales’ celebrations included the winning brush strokes of Matthew Evans, (pictured here), who scooped the gold medal in the SkillBuild Painting & Decorating competition organised by ConstructionSkills in October 2009.   

Charlotte Cooke, (Advanced Floristry) and David Randles (CNC Milling) also accepted their trophies with their proud supporters cheering them on. 

Charlotte Knowles (Performing Arts: Acting) and Philip Foulkes (Plastering) completed Wales’ bank of 5 gold medal winners.

Around the venue there were some wonderful displays of work produced by WorldSkills UK competitors - all of such high standards that we felt we were truly in the presence of greatness!

(Acknowledgements for use of photograph: UK Skills)

Help raise the profile of vocational skills, WorldSkills and skills competitions in Wales

Dean and Cliff – Well Done Guys!

Safely back on Welsh soil, it wasn’t long before we asked Dean Jones and Cliff Williams to come to Cardiff so we could celebrate their achievement at WorldSkills Calgary 2009.

Recently, we held a select gathering in the city so we could meet the lads and give our formal congratulations. (They are pictured here with John Griffiths, Deputy Minister for Skills).

Dean brought home a medallion for excellence in automobile technology – awarded to competitors who achieve 500 points or more, (the threshold for world class standards). A mere 3 points separated Cliff from a medallion, but importantly his high score contributed to the overall Team UK position of 7th in world. So, Cliff too, proved that he could hold his own against his WorldSkills carpentry competitors on an international level.

We are very proud of their accomplishment as are they! We talked to them about their amazing experience and asked our guests what they thought about their success. Here's what they had to say:

Help raise the profile of vocational skills, WorldSkills and skills competitions in Wales