Five vocational skills students from the north have returned from the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 competition with a medal after showcasing their abilities on the world stage.
The quintet, who competed as part of Team UK, were congratulated on their achievements at a reception in Parliament Buildings hosted by economy minister Conor Murphy.
Competing from the north were David McKeown (in the autobody repair category), from James McKeown Accident Repair, a student from Riverpark Training; Daniel Knox (electrical installations), from GP Electrical and Security Ltd/South West College; Isaac Bingham, cabinet making, Monkeywood Luxury Kitchens and Furniture/ Southern Regional College; Jason Scott (robotic systems integration as part of a team of two), AES Global/Northern Regional College; and Charlie Carson (robotic systems integration, team of two), Ulster University/Northern Regional College.
The minister said: “Once again our local vocational skills learners are competing, and succeeding, at international level. Our competitors always do well in WorldSkills competitions but this year in Lyon they have outdone themselves, with all of them securing medals, a first for the north.
“I also pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of teaching staff in the colleges and private training providers. This success in what are highly competitive international competitions highlights the quality of the vocational skills teaching that is available to local learners, and shows the talent we have to grow the local economy.”
Ben Blackledge, chief executive at WorldSkills UK, said: “Congratulations to the competitors from Northern Ireland who have once again demonstrated that they are among the very best in the world and will go on to inspire the next generation of technical professionals.
“We’re proud to partner with the fantastic education and training sector in Northern Ireland to use our international insights to help develop world-class skills and ensure that more investors and employers know that young people in Northern Ireland have the high-level skills to succeed.”
The WorldSkills Lyon competition (www.worldskillsuk.org) saw more than 1,500 young people from 69 countries participate in 62 skills competitions. The event was watched by over 250,000 spectators.
