ROUND UP SkillFRIDGE 2019: Final heats come to a close
Following the final competition heat on 16 July 2019 in Grimsby, the six highest scoring apprentices who will be moving onto the 2019 final have been announced.
and technology so when he found about apprenticeship programs he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. After securing his place as an apprentice he
went on to develop a passion and respect for the industry, this passion is clearly translated in the result of his Heat. When talking about his work he says: “The thing I found most interesting initially was the combination of practical hands-on work with all the science and understanding required behind that.” He continued by saying that the best thing about the industry is “the satisfaction of getting to the root of a failure or breakdown, identifying the failure and seeing the system come back to life.” James Hamblin has been an apprentice for
Dominic Dray T
he winner of SkillFRIDGE 2018, Dominic Dray, from Eastleigh College, has been invited
back to compete for the chance to join World Skills UK Squad in preparation for the international competition in Shanghai 2021. Dominic commented: “I wanted to get into the industry because I felt it offered a bit of everything.” He currently works for Royale Refrigeration & Air Conditioning and has been an apprentice for nearly two years. Now, with the opportunity of joining the UK team within reach, he notes: “I feel excited about potentially being selected for the uk squad, and feel it will give me more opportunities within the industry.” Eastleigh College have the potential to
continue their winning streak with candidate Greg Sinclair who is employed by Sodexo. Greg is not actually an apprentice but has been working in the industry since 2011. He found his way into the industry, and by association, SkillFRIDGE, by accident. He said: “I went to college originally to do a plumbing and gas course. I couldn’t find any work experience in plumbing to get my NVQ but then I found a traineeship in the HVAC industry.” He is eager for a place in the final, he notes: “It’s a good chance to put my skills to the test against the best in the country.” For the second year in a row Bath College is
the only training provider to see two students make it into the top six: Sidney Copus and James Hamblin. Sidney topped the national rankings and is
employed by Space Engineering Services, a market leader in the UK refrigeration sector. Sidney has been an apprentice for nearly 18 months, but began his career three years ago in the national operations centre where he dispatched engineers to different sites and jobs. Despite his high score he did not expect to find himself this far through the competition. Sidney has always been interested in science
50
www.education-today.co.uk
two years and is currently employed by T H White, a company that focuses on work within the agricultural sector. His awareness of the industry grew from his participation in a full time college course and has developed a particular interest in fabrication and pipework. James even wants to encourage others to get into the refrigeration trade, his advice is: “Just go for it!” Another apprentice to make it into the
SkillFRIDGE final is Joshua Collins, from the Glasgow training centre. He has been employed by JD Cooling for four years, during which he has been able to work on sites all over Scotland, maintaining and installing heavy commercial/industrial refrigeration equipment. He was initially drawn to the industry for its versatility, he notes that “refrigeration is in almost everyone’s daily routine, yet no one seems to know how a basic refrigeration system operates.” Joshua has recently gained his SVQ level three in refrigeration and air conditioning, and enjoys
the career progression he can access within his role. He comments: “I am delighted to potentially be in the final for SkillFRIDGE, all my work and training both in college and on site over the past four years has paid off. To be even considered as a SkillFRIDGE competitor is a great achievement for me.” He hopes to show off his skills to everyone watching the final. Ben Wilson is employed by Knight
Engineering, one of Yorkshire's most trusted engineering companies, where he initially took part in a week’s work experience that inspired him to pursue an apprenticeship. He chose this route as he enjoyed the challenge provided by the industry, he believes “every day is different and you are able to push yourself to maximise work satisfaction as you please.” His motivation going into the final revolves around this sense of being able to challenge himself to achieve more. Sebastian Gajors who competed in the
Burnley heats is employed by Climate Control Support. As one of the youngest to make it into the final he can also compete for international squad selection for Worldskills International. Following the heats, in preparation for the
final, the seven competitors will undergo a series of training days provided by industry experts. The final will be hosted by WorldSkills UK Live – the UK’s largest skills, apprenticeships and careers event – at the NEC Birmingham from 21-23 November. For more information on WorldSkills UK LIVE or to register to attend, visit
https://worldskills.org/.
uFor more information on the SkillFRIDGE Competition Series, head to
www.skillfridge.co.uk
Sidney Copus September 2019
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
