09/02/2023

13 NI Students And Apprentices In Running For WorldSkills Competition

Thirteen students and apprentices from Northern Ireland have been named in the UK squad hoping to compete at the WorldSkills competition in Lyon next year.

A total of 94 young people from around the UK will now begin an 18-month intensive training programme in the hope of being selected for the final UK team to compete against their counterparts from over 80 nations in Lyon in September 2024.

All squad members will undertake specialist training programmes with WorldSkills UK to help prepare them for competition by developing both their technical and mindset skills.

Heather Cousins, Head of Skills and Education at the Department for the Economy, congratulated the local members selected for the UK squad: "This is fantastic news. For Northern Ireland to gain 13 places on the UK squad demonstrates, once again, the strength of the talent we have here. Each one of the locally selected competitors can be very proud of their achievements.

"I am also particularly pleased that five of our local further education colleges, as well as one private training provider and one business, are represented amongst those selected. This is testament to the diversity of the training offering we have here.

"And in Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week, it is heartening that six of the 13 squad members are apprentices.

"The success of all the squad members is evidence of what can be achieved on the national and international stage and I wish the whole squad the very best as they go forward for further specialist training."

The squad will be guided through their training by a team of highly skilled trainers, industry experts, former medal winners and performance coaches to help them prepare for the pressure of competing at such a high level. The final team to represent the UK on the international stage will be announced in the spring of 2024.

The competition, to be staged in Lyon, France, next year, is a biennial event run by WorldSkills International that tests young people's skills in a host of technical disciplines.




Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

17 November 2005
Lack of border training affecting economic development
The complexity of training provision and funding arrangements on both sides of the Irish border is having significant negative effects on economic development in the area, new research by the University of Ulster has claimed.
03 December 2010
NI Construction Skills Celebrated
A Stormont politician has been building closer relationships with the NI construction sector. The Employment and Learning Minister, Danny Kennedy, (pictured) has hosted a reception in Parliament Buildings, to celebrate Northern Ireland competitors' recent successes in an international skills competition.
19 November 2010
Region Represented In WorldSkills 2011
Ten regional apprentices from Northern Ireland have been selected as members of Squad UK for WorldSkills London 2011. The squad members were announced by Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, John Hayes MP, at the Association of Colleges Annual Conference in Birmingham.
18 June 2021
Additional Funding Secured For Clinical Academic Training Programme
Additional funding of £385,000 to expand the Clinical Academic Training Programme has been announced by Health Minister Robin Swann.
28 May 2010
Mullan Training Expands IT Courses
A company that has been delivering Microsoft accredited corporate IT courses for over 15 years, Mullan Training, is now urging a greater use of its training resources. Already working with clients such as NIE, the NI Housing Executive and FG Wilson, they have always been a trusted provider of professional computer training.