Simon Bartley unveils Squad UK
Above my desk is a countdown clock reminding me of the seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and years to the first day of competition at WorldSkills London 2011 on 6 October 2011.
However, ticking away at the back of my mind is another clock shouting at me that we have just six months to go till our last chance to check on our progress ahead of 2011.
WorldSkills Calgary 2009, the last WorldSkills Competition before London, kicks off on 1 September and I’m pleased to say that we are well on track to fielding a strong team in Canada.
At the beginning of February I had the pleasure and the privilege of announcing the names of the 60 young people selected to be part of Squad UK.
Squad UK was announced at an event held, appropriately, at Canada House in Trafalgar Square and exactly seven months from the second day of competition at WorldSkills Calgary 2009.
I was greatly encouraged to see that despite the wintry conditions, over 60 people attended including several Squad UK members and their families and supporters.
As well as hearing who had made Squad UK, the guests also had the privilege to listen to a panel discussion focussing on the need to create a culture in which world class skills are embedded in the workforce and how skills competitions can play a strategically important role in this change process.
The growing groundswell of support for WorldSkills was reflected in the high calibre of the panellists:
-
Frances O’Grady (Deputy General Secretary, TUC)
-
Stephen Price, (Senior Policy Manager – Apprenticeships, LSC)
-
Andy Powell, who is the Chief Executive of the educational foundation Edge, the official supporter of Squad UK and Team UK
-
Vicki Fagg, WorldSkills UK Regional Champion, (Principal, College of North West London)
-
Chris Humphries CBE (Chairman, UK Skills)
While the audience had braved the weather to be there, the members of Squad UK had all had already had a much tougher journey!
All of them had already proved themselves by their outstanding performances at WorldSkills UK regional and national competitions followed by having taken part in a three day selection competition to prove that they were of a high enough standard to be selected for Squad UK.
And the hard work has only just begun. Each squad member has had an individualised training programme devised by their Training Manager and they will also attend Squad UK training events at Brathay, a people development organisation based in the Lake District which supports the development of Squad UK and Team UK for WorldSkills Competitions.
Then in June they have to do it all over again at a four day team selection event; this the competition which will be even more pressurised than the squad selection event and it is their last chance to prove themselves worthy of a place in Team UK.
However, in the meantime, here are the 60 young people who have proved themselves of high enough standard to train as part of Squad UK:
|
SKILL CATEGORY |
NAME |
AGE |
HOME TOWN |
EMPLOYER/ COLLEGE |
|
Autobody Repair |
Daniel Cain |
21 |
Grimsby |
Just Car Clinics |
|
Automotive Technology |
Paul Abbey |
20 |
Gattonside |
Gattonside Garage |
|
Automotive Technology |
Dean Jones |
20 |
Swansea |
Mercedes-Benz of Swansea |
|
Beauty Therapy |
Elouise Mayor |
19 |
Lancaster |
Naomi Waite Nail & Beauty Studio / Preston College |
|
Beauty Therapy |
Charlotte Ann Burford |
21 |
Stafford |
Tranquility @ Esporta Stafford / Cannock Chase Technical College |
|
Bricklaying |
Jason Stanley |
19 |
Ashbourne |
KJ & J Stanley |
|
Bricklaying |
Sam Fairgrieve |
20 |
Leicester |
Jelson Holmes Ltd |
|
Bricklaying |
Tom Coppock |
22 |
Oxford |
Self employed |
|
Bricklaying |
Adam Metcalf |
21 |
Hull |
Hobson & Porter |
|
Cabinet Making |
Liam Gardner |
21 |
Gilling West |
Phillip Bastow Cabinet Makers |
|
Cabinet Making |
Luke Griffiths |
21 |
Chichester |
Cimitree Furniture |
|
Car Painting |
Zak McLaughlan |
19 |
Denham |
Solus Norwich Union |
|
Car Painting |
Ben Eaton |
19 |
Sheffield |
Sytner Sheffield |
|
Carpentry |
Gareth Evans |
21 |
Llanelli |
Self employed |
|
Carpentry |
Cliff Williams |
21 |
Talley |
Self-employed |
|
CNC Milling |
Elliot New |
19 |
Stoke-on-Trent |
Bentley Motors / South Cheshire College |
|
CNC Milling |
Christopher Coates |
20 |
Wilmslow |
Bentley Motors |
|
CNC Turning |
Fraser McLean |
18 |
Paisley |
Rolls Royce |
|
Confectionery |
Alistair Birt |
20 |
Uxbridge |
Tummies Bistro, Burnham/ Thames Valley University |
|
Cooking |
Oli Lloyd |
17 |
Sevenoaks |
Claridges Hotel/ Bournemouth & Poole College |
|
Cooking |
Chris Kenny |
20 |
Haskayne |
Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons |
|
Cooking |
Adam Smith |
21 |
Birmingham |
The Ritz Hotel |
|
Electrical Installation |
Neil Frew |
21 |
Ballymena |
Braid Electrical Services |
|
Electrical Installation |
Richard Sagar |
21 |
Langholm |
Eden Electrics |
|
Fashion Technology |
Sophie Willett |
21 |
Newcastle-under-Lyme |
Vivienne Westwood / UAL Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design |
|
Fashion Technology |
Katie-Ann Eardley |
21 |
Wigan |
Karen Millen / University of Huddersfield |
|
Floristry |
Joseph Massie |
21 |
Liverpool |
Fishlocks Florist |
|
Floristry |
Lauren Curry |
20 |
Christchurch |
Sarah Ann Florists/ Bournemouth & Pool College |
|
Hairdressing |
Jenna Smillie |
19 |
Dairy Ayrshire |
SM Hairdesign |
|
Hairdressing |
Linzi Weare |
19 |
Berry Hill, near Coleford |
Reds Hair Company |
|
Hairdressing |
Lois Elizabeth Tippin |
18 |
Milkwall, near Coleford |
Cutting Edge |
|
Industrial Electronics |
Melanie Adlam |
21 |
St Albans |
MBDA UK / University of Bristol |
|
Industrial Electronics |
Andrew Fielding |
18 |
Bolton |
MBDA UK / Wigan & Leigh College |
|
IT PC Network Support |
Hugo Landau |
18 |
St Albans |
Barnfield College |
|
IT PC Network Support |
Robert Kelly |
21 |
Leeds |
Complete Computer Systems Ltd / Leeds College of Technology |
|
Jewellery |
Adam John Claridge |
20 |
Robertsbridge |
Spectrum Fine Jewellery |
|
Jewellery |
Ryan Nelson |
21 |
Chigwell |
David Lawes |
|
Joinery |
Trevor Woods |
20 |
Co Fermanagh |
McAleer & Teague / Omagh College (CITB) |
|
Joinery |
Neil Macartney |
20 |
Harrow |
Haymills |
|
Joinery |
Richard Ellwood |
20 |
Broughton-in-Furness |
Self Employed – Ellwood Joinery |
|
Joinery |
Beau Hewlett |
20 |
Oxford |
Bryan Gelder Joinery |
|
Joinery |
Adam Bushnell |
18 |
Oxford |
Rosewood Joinery/ Oxford & Cherwell Valley College CITB |
|
Landscape Gardening |
Grant Finch |
17 |
Scarborough |
Scarborough Council – Parks & Countryside |
|
Landscape Gardening |
Simon Ginger |
20 |
Theberton |
Otley College |
|
Landscape Gardening |
William Gadd |
21 |
Thurston |
The Country Life Landscapes / Otley College |
|
Landscape Gardening |
Joshua Kitchen |
19 |
Tockington |
Janes Pond Landscaping Ltd / Hartpury College |
|
Landscape Gardening |
Luke Denby |
18 |
Skipton |
Roderick French Groundworks / Craven College |
|
ME CADD |
William Darvill |
19 |
Clevedon |
Bournemouth University |
|
ME CADD |
Martin Eusebi |
21 |
Glasgow |
MB Aerospace Limited, Roberts Products Division / Motherwell College |
|
Painting & Decorating |
Mark Nevin |
21 |
Edinburgh |
Nevin of Edinburgh |
|
Painting & Decorating |
Heather Adgie |
20 |
Leeds |
Bellgroup UK / Leeds College of Building |
|
Plumbing |
Christopher Lonsdale |
21 |
Bishop, Auckland |
|
|
Restaurant Service |
Katie Watson |
20 |
Hamilton |
Gleneagles Hotel |
|
Stonemasonry |
Nathan Smith |
19 |
Swanage/ Portland |
Stone Firms Ltd |
|
Stonemasonry |
Oliver Clack |
20 |
Portsmouth |
Cathedral Works Organisation / Weymouth College |
|
Stonemasonry |
Marc Pate |
22 |
Bristol |
Wells Cathedral Stonemasons Ltd |
|
Web Design |
Richard Edwards |
19 |
Milton Keynes |
Ted Baker / Milton Keynes College |
|
Welding |
Andrew Johnston |
21 |
Addiewell |
Doosan Babcock |
|
Welding |
Harry Klein |
20 |
Sunderland |
Liebherr Sunderland Works |
|
Welding |
Jack Heaton |
20 |
Henningbrough |
Doosan Babcock |
Simon Bartley, chief executive of UK Skills
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