Almost 150 young people have been named in WorldSkills UK’s official squad, marking them as candidates for the team that will head to WorldSkills 2021 in Shanghai. Winners from the national finals at WorldSkills UK LIVE in November were among the 137 young people announced to be joining Squad UK today. They will now undertake an intensive 18-month training process, fitted around their study and employment commitments, to bring them up to world class standard before the final team for China is picked. Education secretary Gavin Williamson offered his congratulations to the competitors, and said he is “excited to see another talented group of young people preparing to showcase their skills on the global stage”. One of those looking forward to more competing is squad member Finlay Champion, 18, from Chichester College Group. He secured his place after winning silver in the furniture and cabinet making at the national finals, a tournament that he “really, really enjoyed”. “One of my favourite things is competing,” he told FE Week. “I think that’s the most enjoyable time I’ve had making a piece of furniture. I think it’s the challenge of trying because you’ve already got the challenge and the timber you just need to assemble it all. “But having to do it in a short space of time with competitors and people watching you, it’s just a fun atmosphere.” It was a massive boost to my self confidence in having been chosen He said finishing his piece at the finals was what got him picked for the squad, but he is now working on “being quicker at doing it better” – ensuring he can produce top-quality work in the time allotted at a tournament. Martina Grumitt, squad member in jewellery is “very proud” to have been selected to be a part of the squad. She said: “It was a massive boost to my self confidence in having been chosen, and I will focus on developing my skills in fine jewellery making, for my future in the trade.” Jack Bateson, 19, from BAE, is representing mechanical engineering CAD on the squad and said it was his “dedication” that earned him a spot. He previously competed in the national finals in 2018 where he won gold and was invited back to compete in 2019 to be in with a chance of making the squad. “I’m honoured to represent the UK and represent my company,” he said. City of Glasgow College is contributing the most squad members of any provider – seven; while both Toyota Manufacturing and Southern Regional College are sending six a piece; and New College Lanarkshire and Gower College Swansea are each sending five. WorldSkills UK chief executive Neil Bentley-Gockmann said he was “very excited we are on the road to Shanghai”. “After the brilliant national finals we have gone through a more stringent process in looking at the finalists, encouraging people and assessing people to come into squad and I feel we’ve got a really good, strong squad to go into the first stage of our international training programme.” He said WorldSkills UK is “gunning to regain our position in the top 10”, after the UK slipped to twelfth place at WorldSkills Kazan 2019, having coming tenth at the competition before in Abu Dhabi 2017. WorldSkills Shanghai will run from 22 to 27 September 2021. FE Week is the official media partner for WorldSkills UK and Team UK will be following Squad UK’s journey throughout the process. The full list of Squad UK members is below: Competitor First Name Competitor Last Name Competition Organisation Name Abigail Stansfield CNC Milling BAE Systems Adam Purvis Chemical Laboratory Technology Southern Regional College Alex Rendall Electrical Installation Bridgwater and Taunton College Alex Howe Joinery West Suffolk College Andrew Mcdonald Wall and Floor Tiling Leeds College of Building Arron Orr CNC Turning Fort Vale Engineering Ashleigh Hellowell Cooking Royal Garden Hotel Aubrey Whiteside Car Painting Riverpark Training and Development Balveen Nota Construction Metal Work Dudley College Bayley Harris Hairdressing Hyfforddiant Ceredigion Training Belinda Nightingale Manufacturing Team Challenge Ricoh UK Products Ltd Ben Lewis Electronics Gower College Swansea Ben Beckett IT Network Systems Administration North East Surrey College of Technology Ben Simcox Aircraft Maintenance Raytheon Systems Ltd Ben Kidner Electrical Installation Rogers Restorations Ltd Ben Metcalfe Patisserie and Confectionary Trafford College group Altrincham campus Benjamin Martin Electrical Installation Nesbitt Electrical Installation Billie Jo McKenzie Automobile Technology South West College Bradley Ellison Mechatronics UTC Sheffield Brendan Duddy Plastering and Drywall Systems North West Regional College Bridie Kilby Painting and Decorating Leicester College Cameron McKnight Cyber Security Belfast Metropolitan College Carwyn Roberts CNC Milling Coleg Cambria Celt John Cooking Coleg Ceredigion Charles Samson Manufacturing Team Challenge Magellan Aerospace (UK) Ltd. Charlotte Phillips-Poupard Beauty Therapy Pembrokeshire College Chloe Holliday Restaurant Service Brockenhurst College Chloe Lloyd-Hughes Cooking North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College Chloe Millington Manufacturing Team Challenge Ricoh UK Products Ltd Chloe Williams Beauty Therapy Weston College Clara Agnew Floristry CAFRE Connor Stow Patisserie and Confectionary Hull College Connor Cruden Plumbing and Heating Moray College Connor Patterson Building Information Modelling New College Lanarakshire Craig Kennedy Car Painting Riverpark Training and Development Dan Slaney Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Danny Hills Welding Lakes College West Cumbria Danny Bunphaung Cooking South Eastern Regional College Darren Houston Building Information Modelling New College Lanarakshire David Davies Aircraft Maintenance Raytheon Systems Ltd David Fryer-Winder Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Dominic Dray Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Eastleigh College Donna Blainey Visual Merchandising City of Glasgow College Dylan Calvert Wall and Floor Tiling Southern Regional College Dylan Gillanders Wall and Floor Tiling Southern Regional College Ellie Mumby Hairdressing Grimsby institue Ellie Ruff Visual Merchandising South Leicestershire College Emily Jones Restaurant Service Coleg Cambria Erica Czerny Hairdressing Strode College Erik Geza Petnehazi 3D Digital Game Art City of Glasgow College Erjon Berisha Electronics Belfast Metropolitan College Ewan Payne Aircraft Maintenance Royal Air Force Finlay Champion Cabinet Making Chichester College Group Gareth Jarvis Aircraft Maintenance British Airways Maintenance Cardiff George Hutchison 3D Digital Game Art City of Glasgow College George Schenbri Jewellery The Goldsmiths’ Company Graeme Nevin Auto Body Repair Riverpark Training and Development Hannah Beckley Floristry Warwickshire College – Moreton Morrell College Harry Colgrave Joinery Exeter College – Construction Training Centre Harry Chaundy Automobile Technology GTG Training Harry Funnell Landscape Gardening Myerscough College Harry Maddox Manufacturing Team Challenge Shrewsbury Colleges Group Harry Jackson Welding Stainless Metalcraft Ltd Hedydd Davies Restaurant Service Coleg Ceredigion Holly Mae Cotterall Beauty Therapy Reds Hair Company Isaac George IT Network Systems Administration North East Surrey College of Technology Isabella Skipp Patisserie and Confectionary Havant and South Downs College Jack Bateson Mechanical Engineering CAD BAE Systems Jack Newton Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Crowther and Shaw LTD Jack Day Web Technologies Highbury College, Portsmouth Jack Hodgkinson Landscape Gardening Myerscough College Jack Hinks Landscape Gardening Myerscough College James Boyes Cabinet Making Moulton College James Digger Architectural Stonemasonry York College Jamie Kennard Cabinet Making Parkway Interiors Ltd Jessica Rose Ancill 3D Digital Game Art Birmingham Metropolitan College Joe Austins Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Joel Keen CNC Milling Rolls-Royce Plc Jordan Cliffe Architectural Stonemasonry Building Crafts College Josh Jones Car Painting NPTC Group – Pontardawe College Josh Sibley Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Josh Harvey Architectural Stonemasonry Weymouth College Kalem Kerrigan Plastering and Drywall Systems Errigal Contracts Kamil Zmich Mechatronics UTC Sheffield Katie Graham Patisserie and Confectionary South Eastern Regional College Kieran McShane Construction Metal Work Burnley College Kirsty Frazer Beauty Therapy Southern Regional College Lavanya Hemanth Chemical Laboratory Technology Middlesex University Lewis Newton Web Technologies Highbury College, Portsmouth Lewis Boyle Painting and Decorating Leeds College of Building Lewis Dymock Chemical Laboratory Technology New College Lanarakshire Lewis Batchelor Mechanical Engineering CAD New College Lanarakshire Liam McCauley Architectural Stonemasonry Forth Valley College Liam Hughes Electronics Gower College Swansea Liam Whitby Mechatronics Hydro Extrusion Luke Myers Bricklaying Bishop Burton College Luke Jowett Cyber Security Walsall College Madeline Rowe Jewellery London Artworks Martina Grumitt Jewellery M A Griffin Matthew Bundy Automobile Technology Skillnet Matthew Goddard Aircraft Maintenance Titan Airways Matthew Sutton Auto Body Repair Training 2000 Limited Menna Williams Hairdressing Coleg Sir Gar Minahil Nawasz Building Information Modelling New College Lanarakshire Molly Lawton Health and Social Care Pembrokeshire College Morgan McNeil IT Network Systems Administration Cardiff and Vale College Morgan Swift Wall and Floor Tiling City of Glasgow College Morgan Roberts Welding Lakes College West Cumbria Nathan Evans Electronics Gower College Swansea Neil Donnolly Mechanical Engineering CAD New College Lanarakshire Nick Bundy Landscape Gardening Gadd Brothers Trees and Landscapes Odhran Connolly Wall and Floor Tiling Southern Regional College Oliver Shimwell Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Owen Gallimore Architectural Stonemasonry Portland Stone Firms Paul Hayter Mechatronics UTC Sheffield Paulina Skoczek Restaurant Service Gower College Swansea Phoebe McLavy Hairdressing Coleg Sir Gar Rhys Watts Electronics Gower College Swansea Ross Findlay 3D Digital Game Art City of Glasgow College Ross Fiori Joinery NCG Carlisle College Ryan Lee Manufacturing Team Challenge Shrewsbury Colleges Group Sam Everton Cooking Pembrokeshire College Samuel Miller IT Network Systems Administration City of Glasgow College Samuel Henderson Plumbing and Heating Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation Saskia Godley Visual Merchandising North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College Shane Powell Hairdressing Coleg Gwent Simona Federova Restaurant Service City of Glasgow College Stefan Bargan Cyber Security Walsall College Steven Megaw Cooking Southern Regional College Thomas Williamson Electrical Installation Coleg Cambria Thomas Mills Manufacturing Team Challenge Ricoh UK Products Ltd Thomas Moule Manufacturing Team Challenge Shrewsbury Colleges Group Thomas Nowell Painting and Decorating Truro and Penwith College Thomas Griffin Web Technologies Weston College Will Gale Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Zack Evans Web Technologies NPTC Group – Neath College Zara Morgan Beauty Therapy Pembrokeshire College