Young engineer makes WorldSkills UK final
Young engineer James Simpson is going for gold having won a place in the WorldSkills UK finals.
James, 19, of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, a fourth year apprentice at Stainless Metalcraft, studying for an EAL welding and fabrication qualification at the College of West Anglia, will be taking his place in the Welding final – one of the 13 WorldSkills UK engineering competitions run by skills specialists Enginuity being held at the Skills Show in Birmingham’s NEC from 13-15 November.
“I didn’t expect to get this far at all to be honest,” said James. “I am quite impressed with myself and so is my company. All the experienced people at work have been helping me train and hopefully I will do really well.
“A career in welding is fantastic – it is such a broad church there are so many different aspects to it.”
He will find out if he has won at an awards ceremony on Saturday (Nov 15).
Julia Chippendale, managing director of EAL, the specialist awarding organisation for industry qualifications said: “It is fantastic to see so many of our students like James putting their learning into practice and showcasing their skills on such a big stage.
“The competitions 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. Our learners will prove an inspiration to the thousands of young people visiting the Skills Show and I wish them the very best of luck in their quest to win Gold medals.”
The competitions run and supported by employer-led Enginuity , which is engineering skills for the future, are: Aeronautical Engineering (Avionic), Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical), CNC Milling, CNC Turning, Industrial Electronics, Mechanical Engineering:CAD, Mechatronics, Mobile Robotics, Construction MetalWork, Sheet MetalWork and Welding.
The Skills Show attracts around 75,000 visitors. It also provides a wide range of hands-on experiences for visitors to inspire them to explore skills, further education and Apprenticeships, helping them to gain advice on how to take the next step into the world of work.
They will have the opportunity to try over 45 skills for themselves in the interactive “Have a Go” experiences across the show in careers ranging from hairdressing to engineering, hospitality to plumbing.
The Skills Show is free to attend and open from 13-15 November 2014. For more information, and to book your place, please visit www.theskillsshow.com
