WorldSkills UK Wales

A Dragon’s Send Off!

All went well at our send off event for Cliff and Dean at the Wales Office in London yesterday.

It was a sunny day and there were plenty of smiles as all of our guests joined in wishing the lads good luck for next week. The guys will be representing Team UK at WorldSkills Calgary, but we couldn’t resist sending them on their way without a little bit of Wales in their pockets – so it was a dragon’s send off from us!

Later in the evening, Team UK celebrated at the stylish Imagination Gallery. They were joined by celebrity chef, James Martin.

Check out some of the photos from both send off events on flickr.

Dean & Cliff were relaxed throughout and clearly remaining focused to perform at their best in Calgary. We are sure they’ll do us proud!

WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Countdown – 7 days to go!

It’s the final countdown!

With only 7 short days to go before the competitions kick-off in Calgary, the excitement is building!

The finishing touches are taking place at Stampede Park, the venue that will host this much anticipated event. Four years of planning have gone into organising this competition, and the eyes of the world will be watching as the action unfolds.

Did you know…?

• This event will be the largest independent event ever hosted at Stampede Park.
• More than 900 young people will vie for gold in 45 skills categories.
• Around 1,000 international delegates and experts will attend.
• An additional 200,000 visitors are expected, (including around 50,000 students).
• 3,000 volunteers have assisted with the organisation.
• It is estimated that the competition will generate around $82 million in economic impact for the City of Calgary.

The Opening Ceremony takes place on Tuesday 1^st September, with the simultaneous competitions starting on Wednesday 2^nd September.

Cliff and Dean are in their very final stages of preparation and the pressure is on!

 

Don’t forget to watch this space and follow us on twitter for the latest updates.

 

WorldSkills Canada 2009 - Send off for Dean and Cliff

We are very proud of Dean and Cliff’s success in making it on to Team UK. We want to recognise their achievement and show our support for them ahead of WorldSkills Calgary 2009.

A small send off event is being held for the lads and their families and supporters in London on Thursday 27 August. The venue – the prestigious Wales Office. Attendance is ‘by invitation only’. However we will share some photos here!

Following our event, the 26 young people on Team UK are being sent off in style at the Imagination Gallery in London.

Meet Gareth – Our lead ‘Roving Reporter’ in Calgary

Gareth Evans is a talented 22 year old from Llanelli who successfully made it on to SquadUK (the pool of highly skilled individuals from which members of Team UK were chosen).

He studied Carpentry at Coleg Sir Gâr alongside Cliff Williams. The two young men competed and trained together throughout the intensive selection process. Encouraging each other throughout, Gareth is travelling to WorldSkills Calgary 2009 to support his friend at this ultimate level competition.

Gareth is no stranger to competitions, having initially represented his college at the SkillBuild competition in 2006. He went on to compete in 2007 and 2008, winning the gold medal in the SkillBuild carpentry competition two years in a row. He also won the WorldSkills UK Welsh regional final in 2007-08.

Gareth completed his apprenticeship with D H Jones Carpentry Services and is now self employed having set-up his own business, G.W. Evans Carpentry Services. His ambition is to see his business grow as he develops.

Gareth’s team spirit is evidenced through his love of sport. He has represented Wales at cricket and captained his West Wales county team. He is a keen follower and competitor of rallying and supports Llanelli RFC (The Scarlets).

He is going to WorldSkills Calgary to support Cliff, Dean and the rest of Team UK and will be reporting back on their progress.

Follow him here and on twitter

Follow us at Worldskills Calgary !

Support our very own Welsh stars as they go for gold competing as part of Team UK at WorldSkills Calgary 2009. If you didn't know Worldskills is like the Olympics of vocational skills competitions such as painting, floristry, carpentry and engineering.

Taking part boosts skills levels and confidence and is also a great experience.

Dean Jones and Cliff Williams were chosen from 4,000 entrants to go to Canada as part of Team UK and it's a first for Wales to compete on the international stage at WorldSkills.

Dean, who's 21, will be competing against car mechanics from across the globe, while Cliff, 22, is giving his all in the carpentry competition.

The guys will be in Calgary from September 1-7, so please send them a good luck message and cheer them on.

Taking part in a big international event is a once in a lifetime opportunity and Dean and Cliff are starting to feel the buzz. Nearly 200,000 spectators will be watching the competition as entrants from 51 different countries go head to head.

Next time the international competition will be in London - in 2011. And your name could be in lights - so check out the WorldSkills Wales web site to find out how to get involved.

But for now, best of luck to Dean and Cliff - we're all right behind you.

Watch this space for updates on how they're getting on.