Latest news from Loughborough University
4 Mar 2013
Young hopefuls battle it out at Loughborough University to represent the UK at global skills contest
Competitors hoping to represent the UK in the international WorldSkills event will be heading to Loughborough University this week, as the campus hosts one of the finals.
WorldSkills is the largest international skills competition in the world. Held every two years in cities around the globe, the competition sees around 1,000 young people, aged 18 – 25, come together to compete for medals in more than 40 different skills including Electrical Installation, Welding, Web Design, Cooking and Landscape Gardening.
Places on the 40-strong UK team will be decided this week in heats across the country. Loughborough will be hosting the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Milling final in its School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. CNC milling machines make precise or production parts that are too complex to be made manually.
Once named in Team UK, the competitors will carry on training intensively before heading to WorldSkills which takes place in Leipzig, Germany from 2 – 7 July, 2013. Team UK will be hoping to build on the success of the last WorldSkills Competition, held in London in 2011. At that Competition, the UK won five gold, two silver, six bronze medals and 12 Medallions for Excellence in front of an audience of 200,000 which included Prime Minister David Cameron.
Loughborough’s Jane McCormack, Operations Manager for the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, said: “We are delighted to welcome the UK’s WorldSkills hopefuls to the University. Engineering is at the heart of Loughborough and part of our heritage, so being able to support something that celebrates such skills is fantastic.”
Jaine Bolton, Chief Operating Officer, National Apprentice Service and UK Official Delegate to WorldSkills International said: “I wish every entrant the best of luck as they compete to secure a place in Team UK.
“By taking part in international competitions, the UK is able to showcase the high levels of performance that can be achieved by individuals and organisations through high quality further education, skills training and Apprenticeships. This provides the inspiration for young people and adults to be ambitious in their pursuit of skills to the highest level.”
Team UK will be announced at the end of March.
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Notes for editors
Article reference number: PR 13/29
About Squad and Team UK for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) manages the UK’s entry into the WorldSkills Competition under the name of WorldSkills UK.
The members of Squad UK for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 were chosen from amongst the UK’s most talented apprentices, employees and learners aged 18 – 23, after three day selection events which took place during summer 2012. The competitors that took part in the Squad UK selection events were invited to compete after excelling in the WorldSkills UK National Competitions or other industry events.
Members of Squad UK for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 will undergo a specialised training programme, supported by a dedicated Training Manager in each skill. They will compete for a place in Team UK by taking part in further selection events which will be held throughout the UK in March 2013.
The UK is currently ranked fifth in the WorldSkills ranking ahead of France, Germany and China after Team UK secured five Gold, two Silver and six Bronze medals at WorldSkills London 2011. This was the UK’s best ever result in the 62 year history of WorldSkills.
WorldSkills Leipzig takes place from 2 – 7 July 2013.
The National Apprenticeship Service would like to thank the following:
Employers and Training Providers of Squad UK
Training Managers and their supporting employers
Performance Development Tutors and their supporting employers
All the organisations that have provided venues, tools and materials free of charge
For more information visit www.worldskillsuk.org
About Loughborough University
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It was awarded the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year 2008-09 title, and is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in national newspaper league tables. In the 2011 National Student Survey, Loughborough was voted one of the top universities in the UK, and has topped the Times Higher Education league for the Best Student Experience in England every year since the poll's inception in 2006. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, the University has been awarded six Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
It is a member of the 1994 Group of 11 leading research-intensive universities. The Group was established in 1994 to promote excellence in university research and teaching. Each member undertakes diverse and high-quality research, while ensuring excellent levels of teaching and student experience.
Contact for all media enquiries
Judy Wing
Senior PR Officer
Loughborough University
T: 01509 228697
E: J.L.Wing@lboro.ac.uk