Exciting line up of Welsh talent revealed for prestigious 'Skills Olympics'
UWTSD’s Oscar MacNaughton is amongst a group of Wales’ finest apprentices and students set to conquer the gobal stage at WorldSkills in Lyon.
Oscar started working for UWTSD’s Wales Centre for Advanced Batch Manufacture (CBM Wales) as an apprentice design engineer. He entered the WorldSkills competition for Additive Manufacturing last September and qualified for the UK finals.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, MS, met four of the group at the Senedd to hear about their hopes for the competition.
He said: “The dedication and hard work of Ruby Pile, Oscar McNaughton, Rosie Boddy, Max Clarke, Arron Luker and Ruben Duggan exemplify the impact of skills development programs. Their participation in WorldSkills Lyon 2024 reflects the commitment to excellence and the pursuit of mastery in their disciplines.
“WorldSkills is a testament to skills development in Wales and globally. It provides a platform for talented individuals to showcase their expertise and compete at an international level.
“These skilled professionals represent a diverse range of fields, from Additive Manufacturing Aircraft Maintenance, Restaurant Services. Cyber Security and Plumbing and Heating, demonstrating the importance of vocational education and training.
“As we celebrate their achievements, let’s recognise the vital role that skills development plays in shaping our future workforce and fostering innovation.
Just as we will be celebrating the athletic prowess of our sporting elite in Lyon the week before, we will cheer the talents and dedication of these six young competitors keen to showcase their prize-winning abilities.
“And it’s important to acknowledge the impressive representation of their country by considering the ratio of competitors to population. One in five of our national team is Welsh.
“We’re all so very proud of you here in Wales.
“I wish each and every one of our competitors and those from the rest of the UK the best of luck.”
Lee Pratt, UWTSD’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Academy manager, said : “We are extremely proud of Oscar’s achievements in getting this far and achieving a position with WorldSkills UK squad.
“This is a pilot year for the Additive Manufacturing competition. Competitors are required to utilise a number of Advanced Manufacturing skills as part of their test including,3D scanning, reverse engineering, computer simulation and 3D printing.
“We believe Oscar has what it takes to go all the way with WSUK and will be supporting him every step of his journey!”
Further Information
Rebecca Davies
Executive Press and Media Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: rebecca.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 07384 467071