is a reminder that WorldSkills competitors have honed their abilities in the working world for paying customers – a sterile academic challenge it is not. As the smells of marzipan, cut fl owers, welding fl ux and paint fi lter through the exhibition hall, fl orists, confectioners, fabricators and bodyshop specialists display their craft. They are surrounded by country fl ags and trinkets to make their workspace feel like home – be that in Malaysia, Colombia, the US or Southend-on-Sea. All competition tasks are designed to be realistic


and exacting, with over 900 experts from relevant industries around the world assessing competitors during the event. Standing in front of a Royal Air Force Gazelle helicopter, Philippe Delay, lecturer at an aeronautical school in Merville, France, reveals the nuts and bolts of the aircraft maintenance competition: ‘They have to make a prefl ight examination of the helicopter, borescope the engine, examine a compressor blade for faults, as well as make a piece of the engine and a rigging cable for the fl ight controls. They also have to repair an electrical wiring circuit.’ It’s striking that the quality of skills shown on this stand keep helicopters fl ying and people alive – something the boiler-suited technicians all appear to do with ease as they begin cutting metal for a fabrication task. Surrounded by brand-new Hondas and MINIs on car


lifts, Malaysian Automobile Technology expert Cheah Wing Yew takes a minute out from assessing Team UK hopeful John Couldridge (see panel, right) to explain how the competition provides a useful yardstick for global industries. ‘The importance of this competition is to moderate the youngsters, helping them learn and upgrade their skills,’ explains Yew. ‘It is through the competition that they


16,000 people attended the opening and closing ceremonies while 912 experts came to oversee 922 people compete in 46 different skills


22 | BROADSHEET 178 | WINTER www.cityandguilds.com/broadsheet


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