NAA Skills Update: Showcasing the UK’s Skills
As the end of the year approaches and we reflect on key events which have caught our attention over the past twelve months, I’m sure that many of us will look back with pride on the success of the athletes participating in the 2012 London Olympics and the Paralympics and the role London played as the host city.
But did you know that London hosted another important international competition the previous year? In 2011 the UK hosted the 41st World Skills International competition which saw students and employees from around the world competing in approximately 70 skills competitions designed by leading industry experts from a wide range of business sectors.
World Skills competitions are designed to test the practical skills and theoretical knowledge of candidates and categories include:
- CNC Milling
- CNC Turning
- Industrial Electronics
- Mechanical Engineering: CAD
- Mechatronics
- Mobile Robotics
- Sheet Metalwork
- Welding
Following on from the success of WorldSkills London 2011, the WorldSkills UK national competition cycle continued with WorldSkills UK – The Skills Show, being held at the NEC in Birmingham in over three days in November this year.
Attended by over 100,000 students and members of the public, in addition to offering an opportunity to view the competitions, visitors were also given the chance to take part in ‘Have a Go’ activities and watch the highly entertaining ‘skills showcases’ which shone the spotlight on further education, skills and apprenticeships.
WorldSkills UK is just one of many skills competitions held around the country throughout the year including The National Apprenticeship Awards which are a celebration of apprentices and employers involved in Apprenticeships across England which highlight the many success stories and the benefits of Apprenticeships.
So, if you would like to be publicly recognised for the investment you make in the skills of young people or if you would like to showcase the talents of your young employees and encourage them to hone their existing skills and develop skills in other areas which will benefit your business, why not consider participation in competitions?
Registration for WorldSkills UK opens on the 11 February 2013 with regional heats running in April to June. These will be followed by the National Finals in November 2013 and the winners could find themselves jetting off to World Skills Rio, Brazil in 2015. Further information can be found at: http://worldskillsuk.apprenticeships.org.uk/
If you would like more information on skills competitions or any other skills-related activities, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Susan Butters
Project Manager, Autohub
Tel: 07815-284360
Email: s.butters@nwautoalliance.com
