Team UK were honoured at the Scottish Parliament today 11 January 2023 following their global success in WorldSkills.
Scotland entered five competitors as part of Team UK and they were awarded four Medallions for Excellence, which are presented to those who reach the world-class standard in their skill.
This impressive performance saw Scotland achieve a fantastic result in digital skills, beating China, Germany and Singapore in the medal table. Overall, Team UK came tenth in the world.
Youth Employment and Training Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “It’s great to see students and young professionals from Scotland represent our country fantastically well on the international stage. Their hard work and intensive preparation is something to be proud of.
“I have no doubt that their success and endeavours will encourage others to get involved in our excellent skills system.”
Representing Scotland were:
George Hutchinson who competed in 3D Digital Game Art. George attended City of Glasgow College and is now studying at the University of West Scotland. George competed in Korea.
Mona Nawaz who competed in Digital Construction. Mona attended New College Lanarkshire and now works for Balfour Beatty. Mona competed in France.
Lewis Batchelor who competed in Mechanical Engineering CAD. Lewis attended New College Lanarkshire and now works for Probe Test Solutions in Hamilton. Lewis competed in France.
Connor Cruden who competed in Plumbing and Heating. Connor attends UHI Moray College and works for Cowie Plumbing and Heating in Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Connor competed in Germany.
Simona Federova who competed in Restaurant Services. Simona attended City of Glasgow College and now works at Gleneagles. Simona competed in Switzerland.
Medallions for Excellence were awarded in 3D Digital Game Art, Digital Construction, Plumbing and Heating and Restaurant Services.
Also honoured at the event, were the following WorldSkills UK Training Managers:
Barry Skea, Training Manager for Mechanical Engineering CAD. Barry lectures at New College Lanarkshire.
Brendan Burns, Training Manager for IT Network System Administrator. Brendan lectures at New College Lanarkshire.
Mike Swan, Training Manager for Painting and Decorating. Mike lectures at Dundee and Angus College.
Michael McGuire, Training Manager for Digital Construction. Michael, who previously worked at New College Lanarkshire now lectures at Glasgow Caledonian University.
The success of Scottish competitors shows both the appetite and aptitude that young people across the country have for us. Being part of the WorldSkills UK network provides unique access for us to learn from other countries and transfer those insights to drive up training standards, raising the profile and prestige of skills in Scotland.
The next WorldSkills Competition will take place in Lyon, France in 2024.
