WorldSkills UK Wales

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.

Welsh Competitors L-R Dean Jones Cliff Williams

Welsh Competitors L-R Dean Jones Cliff Williams
Originally uploaded by WorldSkills UK - Wales

Dean Jones, Mercedes Benz Swansea (left) and Cliff Williams, Coleg Sir Gar announced on 'Team UK' who will represent their country at WorldSkills, Calgary 2009 (1-7 September 09)