We organised the event to support our programme to exchange best practice in skills development with countries around the world. It was the first event of its kind to be held in Wales.
The two-day event (18-19 November) to share good practice, which also included a day of masterclasses, was initiated by the Department for International Trade and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in China.
Taking part from Gower College Swansea were electronics students: Ben Lewis, Liam Hughes, Rhys Watts, Ryan Day and Marcus Drennan. The virtual training event was designed by Steve Williams, a tutor at the college and WorldSkills UK International Training Manager for Industrial Electronics.
Following the event, their work was assessed by international experts and Rhys won the coveted top spot, taking home Gold, and Ben and Liam were awarded Silver, coming joint-second for their efforts.
Parisa Shirazi, WorldSkills UK’s Head of Skills Development and International Skills Competitions said:
“WorldSkills UK is part of a global network of over 80 countries which are working together to mainstream excellence in skills development by sharing international insights and best practice. By hosting virtual training events for young people in Wales, we are ensuring that despite the ongoing effects of the pandemic, they can continue to share ideas and learn from their peers around the world. This is supporting them to develop the high-quality standard of skills that employers in Wales need to help boost industry and attract international investment.”
Gower College Swansea works closely with WorldSkills UK and enters its students into our UK-wide skills competition programme as part of its commitment to support students in developing world-class skills.
Ben Lewis, Rhys Watts and Liam Hughes are in training with us as part of Squad UK under the guidance of Steve Williams, with the hope of securing a place to represent the UK in Industrial Electronics at the WorldSkills Competition, known as the ‘skills Olympics’ which will next take place in Shanghai, China in 2022.
