Five young engineers on WorldSkills shortlist

UK Skills has revealed the names of five young engineers from across the UK who have been shortlisted for the UK team to compete in the WorldSkills Competition.

UK Skills has revealed the names of five young engineers from across the UK who have been shortlisted for the UK team to compete in the WorldSkills Competition.

James Della Cioppa, 20, a Mechatronics Engineer from High Peak in Derbyshire, was selected for WorldSkills after participating in the SkillMechatronics competition earlier this year.

He previously completed an NVQ Level 3 at college and currently works for Federal Mogul Friction Products.

Matthew Goodwin, 21, a Mechatronics Engineer from Buxton, was selected for WorldSkills after participating in the SkillMechatronics competition earlier this year.

He completed an NVQ Level 3 and an HNC qualification while at college and currently works for Federal Mogul Friction Products.

Tom Ashcroft, 20, was selected for WorldSkills after participating in the SkillElectronics competition earlier this year.

Ashcroft works for MBDA UK Missile Systems and has completed his apprenticeship but is continuing working towards his a HND and NVQ Level 4 at Wigan and Leigh College.

Gareth Rees, 20, was selected for WorldSkills after participating in the SkillWeld competition earlier this year.

Rees works for Whitland Engineering and is in the process of completing an NVQ Level 3 Apprenticeship at Prestige Training.

Christopher Robertson, 19, a welder from Argyll, was selected for WorldSkills after participating in the SkillWeld competition earlier this year.

Having completed an NVQ Level 3 Apprenticeship at Falkirk College and a Level 2 City and Guilds qualification in welding, Robertson now works for Interserve.

The five will now compete with others on the shortlist, from a number of skill areas, for a place in the official UK team.

The shortlist was announced at an event held at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, which was attended by Ivan Lewis, Minister for Skills and Vocational Education and David Grant from Fame Academy, who has been appointed as an official Ambassador for the UK WorldSkills Team.

The WorldSkills competition will take place between 26th and 29th May 2005 in Helsinki, Finland.

It is the biggest skills competition in the world, with over 700 competitors from 39 member countries participating.

Young people from 39 skill areas will compete over the course of four days to become the best within their chosen trade.

Dr Graeme Hall, Chief Executive of UK Skills, the organisation which is responsible for selecting and managing the UK team, said: "While our workforce has reached an undeniable level of competence, we need to aspire to excellence in order to maintain our position in an increasingly competitive global economy".

"But first, we need to rethink our attitude to training and rid vocational education of its image as the 'poor relation' to academic qualifications".

"The reality is that employment in vocational skills makes for rewarding careers".

"So why is it that choosing the vocational path is still seen as second best?".

"UK Skills is helping the Standards Unit at the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) realise its policy objectives".

"The WorldSkills Competition is just one of the initiatives in a wider drive to raise the standard of skills in this country, while bringing parity of esteem with academic qualifications".

"The WorldSkills Competition provides a means of benchmarking against a world-class standard, but, crucially, it also instils competitors with a sense of pride and worth in their chosen trade".

"Every member from our past WorldSkills teams has come back with a heightened sense of confidence and the aspiration to excel in their day-to-day work".

Following the announcement of the shortlist in Manchester, competitors will participate in a number of skills events to prepare them both physically and mentally for the rigours of the competition in Helsinki.

Sponsors of the UK team - L'Oréal Professionnel, the Honda Institute, the Standards Unit (DfES), Brathay Hall Trust, and City and Guilds - each play a role in supporting the events around the competition preparation.

The final team for Helsinki will be announced following events at Derby College and EMTEC, Nottingham.

The event at Derby College will simulate the WorldSkills competition over 18 hours, to give competitors an opportunity to demonstrate their practical skills and test their ability to perform under pressure.

The chosen team will then undertake a final project on 9th to 13th April, which will simulate a crisis situation.

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