Top New Zealand young apprentices compete at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017
Thirteen young New Zealanders are getting ready to shine at the 44th WorldSkills International competition in Abu Dhabi from 15-18 October. They will meet more than 1500 competitors from 76 other member countries and regions. Together they will compete in 51 skill tournaments at the world’s biggest vocational education and skills excellence competition.
The New Zealand team includes florists, carpenters, waiters, mechanics, plumbers and chefs. They all have been undergoing intensive skill training with the assistance of their respective employers and skill experts over the past few months.
CEO of WorldSkills New Zealand Malcolm Harris says these young people demonstrate technical abilities both individually and collectively to execute specific tasks for which they study or perform in their workplace.
“We have a great team and participating in the WorldSkills International Competition in Abu Dhabi will be an invaluable experience for them. They have increased their work skills, but just as importantly, have grown as individuals.
Skills competitions showcase and inspire world-class excellence and introduce the youth to a variety of career options.
“We are very happy with the depth of talent attending this year’s international skills competition,” says Malcolm Harris “I believe these young, talented New Zealanders will encourage others to take up skills careers and develop through WorldSkills competitions.”
Wintec is a proud supporter of the New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Skills team (NZITP Skills team), which was selected from last year’s 2016 WorldSkills New Zealand National Competition held and hosted by Wintec. The apprentices were also selected through ongoing performance evaluation.
Wintec will host the WorldSkills national competition again next year.
“We’re all about celebrating skills excellence in young people, and our support of WorldSkills is one of the ways to demonstrate this,” says Wintec’s chief executive Mark Flowers.
“WorldSkills competitions give visibility and importance to professional education. In an increasingly globalised world, highly skilled young talent will lead the way in evolving new technology and our future workforce.”
A delegation from New Zealand Industry Training Organisations (NZITO) and institutes of technology will attend the competition and the WorldSkills Conference, which will focus on ‘Skills Strategies for a Globalised World’.
The 2017 NZITP Skills Team members are:
Andrew Champion – BOC Welding competitor from Feilding, employed by RCR Energy.
Alex Banks – Resene Automotive Refinishing competitor from Wellington, employed by Stokes Valley Collision Repair in Lower Hutt.
Chabbethai Chia – etco Electrical Installation competitor from West Auckland, employed by Team Cabling in the North Shore.
Hunter Turner – The Skills Organisation Plumbing and Heating competitor from Kohimarama, Auckland, employed by J&J Plumbing & Gas in South Auckland.
Jarrod Wood – Aircraft Maintenance competitor from South Auckland, employed by Air New Zealand at the Auckland Airport.
Kimberley de Schot – Restaurant Service competitor from Christchurch, employed by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in Burnham.
Logan Candy – Automotive Technology competitor from Gisborne, employed by the NZDF in Palmerston North.
Logan Sanders – etco Industrial Control competitor from Wellsford, employed by Dalton Electrical in Auckland.
Nicholas Todd – Cooking competitor from Otago, employed by the NZDF in Christchurch.
Nicole Keeber – Floristry competitor from Whakatane, employed by Bouquet Floral.
Sarah Browning – ACG Yoobee Graphic Design Technology competitor from Nelson, employed by Adcorp in Wellington.
Shea Keir– Industrial Mechanic Millwright competitor from Waikato, employed by Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts in Tokoroa.
Todd Hamilton – Carpentry competitor from Hawkes Bay, employed by the NZDF in Palmerston North.
About WorldSkills NZ:
WorldSkills New Zealand is an independent, non-profit charitable trust founded in 1986, dedicated to encouraging young people to excel in vocational skills. This is achieved through exposure to competitions at regional, national and international levels.
About WorldSkills International:
WorldSkills International is the global hub for skills excellence and development. Through international cooperation and development between industry, government, organisations, and institutions, we promote the benefits of, and need for, skilled professionals through grassroots community projects, skill competitions, and knowledge exchange. We show how important skills education and training is for youth, industries and society by challenging young professionals around the world to become the best in the skill of their choice.
Visit WorldSkills NZ on Facebook and check out the website. Follow the competition on WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017’s website.
Image: NZITP Skills team 2017
