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 |
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