WorldSkills UK Wales

David to represent the UK on world stage!

He made it! After a long couple of months of intensive training, David Bowen has been selected to represent Team UK in the web design competition at WorldSkills London 2011.

David, aged 18 and a student at Coleg Sir Gar, is the youngest member of the 43-strong Team UK; he is also the only member of the team from Wales. He will now go head-to-head with the best in the world when he competes at WorldSkills London which takes place 5-8 October 2011 at ExCel. During this toughest of tests, David will have to design and build a website in just 20 hours.

 
Our Deputy Minister for Skills, Jeff Cuthbert, has congratulated David on his success saying, '...His selection is testimony to his talent and hard work and I'm sure he will do Wales proud'. David is pictured here with the Deputy Minister and Barry Liles, Principal of Coleg Sir Gar, at the VQ day awards (where he was a finalist), on 22 June 2011.

To celebrate his inclusion in Team UK, David also joined all of the other members of Team UK at a special reception held at Buckingham Palace this week, which must have been a fantastic experience!

David says that '...It is a great honour to be selected for WorldSkills and I'm looking forward to competing against the best in the world. Being involved in this event has been a big boost to my confidence and I have learned a lot competing and training for the finals'.

David must now continue to apply himself further with more intensive training scheduled in the lead up to London to refine his skills ready to compete on the international stage. Congratulations on your success so far, David! We'll be watching your progress with interest and fingers crossed for a medal at London!

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

Pink plumbing proves top!

Gemma Prosser proved her metal in the recent skillscompetition Wales final held at Coleg Sir Gar. The 20 year-old who’s studying at the Ammanford campus fought off competition from fourteen other candidates to win first place in the foundation plumbing skills competition!

Gemma decided to seek a career in plumbing after helping her partner who is already a qualified plumber. Thrilled with her win, she’s looking forward to developing her skills and entering higher level competitions like SkillPLUMB in the coming years.

Second place in this year’s plumbing competition went to Jonathan Hopkins from Neath Port Talbot College; whilst Jonathan Madley from Ystrad Mynach College took third position.

In the electrical competition, Coleg Sir Gâr students scooped all top three positions with Ryan Newman, first, Reece Sales, second, and Andrew Kirkbridge, third.

It was a great skillscompetition Wales final – check out our photo gallery on flickr. You might spot previous WorldSkills Squad UK member, Gareth Evans, who spoke to the competitors (as they nervously awaited their results) about his experience and how far a skills competition journey can take you.

Congratulations to all competitors and everyone involved in this competition!

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

The journey to the final

A number of plumbing and electrical engineering students will be preparing for next week’s test at the grand final of this year’s skillscompetition Wales. The event sees the winners from previous heats at Bridgend and Llandrillo colleges and Coleg Sir Gâr compete for the title of overall Welsh winner.

Take a look at their journey to the top…

 Good luck everyone!

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

David’s ready for the WorldSkills challenge

 
Current WorldSkills Squad UK member, David Bowen, is deep in training at the moment - hoping to secure a sought after place on Team UK to represent his country in the web design competition at WorldSkills London 2011. He's hoping a new fitness regime will give him the edge... read the full story in today's guardian! 

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

Welsh hairdressers sharpen their scissor skills

We’ve been keeping an eye on some slick scissor talent lately as a number of hairdressers across the country have been competing on a national stage.

Bradley Robinson, aged 16, who works at ‘Harper on Hair’ in Abercychan, has held a life-long dream to be a top hairdresser. He is currently undertaking a modern apprenticeship programme and is working towards an NVQ level 2 in hairdressing.

Over the past couple of weeks, Bradley has been competing in front of millions of television viewers on ITV’s This Morning. Winning the competition will see him become apprentice to the programme’s resident hairdresser, Jamie Stevens. He beat hundreds of applicants to make it on to the live show and has followed a series of complex live challenges, surviving the cut each week as a contestant is eliminated. He is now down to the final two contestants and will go head-to-head for the prize next week!

Meanwhile, on e4’s ‘Great British Hairdresser’ television programme, Joshua Rees-Hole, from Cowbridge, and James Langan, from Bangor, have been competing for the title under the direction of stylist to the stars, James Brown.  

Named ‘Young Welsh Apprentice of the Year’ in 2009, Josh, at 22, is the youngest finalist in the competition and has four years’ experience in hairdressing. Whilst Styling Director, James, aged 23, has wanted to work with hair ever since he left school and has been in hairdressing for six years; his ambition is to own a salon in New York.

Great work guys and well done on your achievements so far! Good luck to you all in your competitions! 

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