WorldSkills UK Wales

A window of opportunity for Hannah

Today is the first day of competitions at EuroSkills Lisbon 2010 and Hannah Cook from the University of Glamorgan will be flying the flag for Team UK. Hannah will compete in the Window Display competition, having previously secured a bronze medal in the WorldSkills UK Visual Merchandising competition earlier this year.

It’s an opportunity for Hannah to gain further experience in a pressurised competition environment and to prove her metal, as she hopes that performing well at EuroSkills will secure her a place on Squad UK with an ultimate goal of competing at WorldSkills London 2011.

Hannah says that her family and friends have been really positive about her participation and are really supportive… “I hope to make them proud in Lisbon”.  When asked about her ambitions, she says “Short term – to win at EuroSkills. Long term – I aspire to be successful in the fashion industry, in a job that challenges me everyday and that I thoroughly enjoy”. Here’s wishing you good luck in Lisbon, Hannah!

Take a look at this video to find out more about EuroSkills 2010: 

 

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

House of Commons reception celebrates Squad UK

Rhydian Williams and David Bowen attended a prestigious reception event at the House of Commons Terrace last week to celebrate the announcement of Squad UK for WorldSkills London 2011. Our joinery and web design competitors were greeted with 180 guests who attended the celebration! We've uploaded a couple of photos to flickr - take a look!

 

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

David and Rhydian secure their place on Squad UK

Congratulations to David Bowen and Rhydian Williams who have been selected from hundreds of individuals to win places on Squad UK! Having made it this far, they will be hoping that in a couple of months time they will be ready to take on the best from across the globe at WorldSkills London 2011 – the largest skills competition in the world.

David, a web design student from Llandysul, and Rhydian, a joiner from Haverfordwest, were chosen by UK Skills after successfully competing at tough selection events last month. They will now undertake an intensive training programme supported by a dedicated Training Manager to prepare for the Team UK selection next June 2011.

David is currently studying for a BTEC National Diploma in ICT at Coleg Sir Gâr. Earlier this year, he won the gold medal in our 2010 web design skillscompetition Wales, progressing to win the silver medal at the WorldSkills UK Web Design 2010 competition. David says that he competed for a place in Squad UK to gain more confidence and experience, also saying “I became involved in the competition because I believe it will make me more employable and show I have the skills to do the job”.

Meanwhile, Rhydian is also no stranger to competitions. He won a silver medal in joinery at the WorldSkills UK (Skillbuild) 2010. He says “I would love the opportunity to show my skills at an international level and the opportunities international competitions present are endless. I would tell anyone considering a vocational career that ‘once a skilled person, always a skilled person’”. Rhydian completed an apprenticeship last year in NVQ 2/3 joinery at Coleg Sir Gâr and Pembrokeshire College. His is currently employed as a lecturer at Pembrokeshire College.

Good luck to both with their Squad UK training – watch this space for updates on their progress.

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

Your perfect job

Ever wondered what job would best suit your personality? Why not take this test to find out. Visit our skillscymru facebook page to try out this City & Guilds application.

There’s also information on a variety of careers from a Michelin starred chef to a football coach. You can also take a look at a number of ‘day in the life’ videos including a make-up artist, F3 engineer and a senior stylist at Nicky Clarke.

This application is a great way to get inspired! 

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

Groundwork – cultivating talent!

Watch this fantastic video about Groundwork Wales’ environmental regeneration competition. Six teams from across Wales took part in the grand final of this competition, held as part of skillscymru at the Millennium Stadium on 16 September 2010.

Funded via our skillscompetition Wales, the competition required teams to design and create a small garden as part of an environmental regeneration project. Competitors were tested in a variety of skills covering a mix of horticulture, landscaping, project design, conservation, community consultation, health and safety and basic construction techniques.

The team from Gower College Swansea won the foundation level with the team from Deeside College winning the intermediate level. Coleg Meirion Dwyfor’s team took the top prize at the advanced level. Congratulations to all!

It was a great competition and exciting to be able to watch this live at skillscymru. Seeing the gardens take shape so quickly was really impressive. We were also impressed with Groundwork’s stand at the event that included signage made solely from recycled materials! 

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