WORLDSKILLS 2011
2,500 volunteers helped out at the event, greeting visitors and competitors upon arrival and being on-hand throughout to ensure everything ran smoothly
can improve their skill and it gives them ambition. It is good to watch people from different countries compete, as then you get to see the current level of that particular skill around the world.’
PATH TO SUCCESS
WorldSkills provides employers with an opportunity to show off their training programmes to a wide audience of learners. Bentley staff demonstrate the dexterity required to stitch leather steering wheels by hand, while BAE Systems apprentices explain the value of their apprenticeships. BAE Technical Apprentice Rachel Brown supervises a
group of schoolchildren trying on a gadget-laden Eurofi ghter Typhoon pilot’s helmet while giving her take on WorldSkills. ‘There are lots of young people walking around and we get the chance to tell them what apprentices do,’ she says. ‘My day job involves structural tests, basically breaking the aircraft that colleagues have made.’ It becomes clear that Rachel is keen to make sure the children around her avoid the negative preconceptions she had about vocational education during her time in school. ‘When I was younger I always thought that I had to go to university, but the learning I’ve done on my apprenticeship has shown me that a hands-on, vocational education is a totally valid alternative path to take. I’m glad I did it.’ On the other side of the hall, three of Rebecca’s fellow BAE
apprentices are competing as a team to manufacture a mini motorbike from scratch in four days. ‘The competition is amazing, I don’t know where else you can see so many skilled people from around the world,’ enthuses Rebecca. ‘It’s nice to see people celebrating hands-on learning. If you took someone out of university they wouldn’t be able to do half the stuff these guys are doing. It’s fantastic.’
GOING THE COURSE
Team UK Automobile Technology competitor John Couldridge is undoubtedly one of the UK’s brightest vocational stars. After graduating from the Honda Institute with the centre’s Apprentice of the Year accolade under his belt, John was eager for even more success. ‘Honda put me in for national assessments and I came out of it best in the UK,’ says John. ‘I kept advancing and entered the squad selection for WorldSkills – I got a place on Team UK.’ John, who works at Glyn Hopkin Honda
in Chelmsford, won a bronze medal at WorldSkills. ‘It’s incredible’ he says. ‘I’ve been buzzing ever since, and now it’s over I feel numb from the hard work. It’s all done and dusted and I go back to work next week – but going back knowing that you’re third best in the world at what you do is an amazing feeling.’
Korea came fi rst in the medals table with 13 golds, followed closely by Japan which managed 11, then Brazil and Switzerland with six each
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ILLUSTRATION: MATT JOHNSTONE/JELLY LONDON
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