Wolverhampton EAL learner is Skills Show champion
Bradley Norton has proved to be one of Britain’s brightest engineers for the second year in a row after beating tough competition to be crowned champion at WorldSkills UK.
The 19-year-old from Bilston, Wolverhampton, won the Mechanical Engineering: CAD (Computer Aided Drawing) Advanced Gold medal after three intensive days at the Skills Show at the NEC in Birmingham before around 80,000 spectators.
More than 100 engineers, selected at a series of regional heats, battled it out in the elite competition managed by employer-led Enginuity , which engineers skills for the future.
Bradley, who works for Thompson Friction Welding in Halesowen and studying an EAL qualification – Level 4 Engineering Manufacture NVQ – at Dudley College of Technology said: “I didn’t think I would get any medal at all never mind the gold. It is something to have on my CV and lets people know you are good at what you do.”
Julia Chippendale, managing director of EAL, the specialist awarding organisation for industry qualifications said: “Bradley has put his learning into practice and come away with a Gold medal. As an organisation whose motto is Closer to Industry, we very much support competitions like WorldSkills. They play a vital role in raising skills standards among young people and provide an opportunity for competitors to challenge themselves against the best in the country.
“A highly skilled workforce with relevant qualifications to prove employees have reached the standard required is vital to the future of the UK economy. Bradley’s success will prove an inspiration to the thousands of young people.”
Among the visitors to the Skills Show was Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP, who called upon parents to put aside any prejudice that they might have against vocational pathways to work.
The engineering competitions, managed by Enginuity are part of the WorldSkills UK Portfolio, run by Find a Future in partnership with organisations from industry and education.
WorldSkills UK Competitions reward real talent and drive up levels of expertise in further education, skills and Apprenticeships. The competitions enable organisations to expand the skills base of their employees and share best practice within industry.
