MP visits WorldSkills workshop at Brinsbury College
Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert saw preparations for the WorldSkills 2017 competition when he visited a new workshop facility at Brinsbury College in Pulborough last week (Friday 11 March).
WorldSkills competitions run every two years and have been designed to inspire young people to develop their skills to the highest standards. The competitions are run in over 60 skills areas from construction and engineering through to creative and hospitality. The international finals will be held in Abu Dhabi next year.
The MP watched the country’s best young cabinet makers, joiners and carpenters fine tuning their skills in their first WorldSkills workshop since being selected for the UK squad in November.
Mr Herbert was shown around the new facility by Chichester College lecturer Christian Notley, who has mentored previous WorldSkills medal winners. Edward Harringman and George Callow are former Chichester College students who won the WorldSkills carpentry competitions in 2015 and 2013 respectively.
Edward Harringman recently presented his gold medal winning cabinet to 10 Downing Street last month where it forms part of a special display showcasing young British talent.
The 2017 UK squad hopefuls include Chichester College students, Jack Bateman and Jack Adams, who are seeking to repeat the medal winning success in Abu Dhabi. A third Chichester College student, Henri Couch, is also hoping to represent the UK for brickwork.
The UK is currently listed seventh in the WorldSkills ranking after the best ever medal haul in São Paulo, Brazil in August 2015.
Christian Notley said: “It is fantastic to host the first WorldSkills UK workshops for these skills areas at our new training workshop. These training days are imperative for our squad as we start working towards next year’s competition in Abu Dhabi.
“We can only take one person from each skill area, so this is their opportunity to shine and demonstrate to us why they should be that person. This is the first workshop and we will be holding more at other colleges around the country.”
Shelagh Legrave, Principal at Chichester College, said: “We are proud of our involvement with the competitions, not least because we have a fantastic pedigree at WorldSkills in cabinet making with two gold medal winners at the last two competitions – both of whom were trained by Christian, one of our lecturers.
“Taking part in competitions of this standard shows what hard work, dedication and determination can achieve and I hope this continues to inspire our students.”
Nick Herbert said: “Competitions like WorldSkills are so important for developing high standards of skills, in particular in trades and crafts.
“I was very impressed and proud that the United Kingdom team's carpentry skills were developed at Brinsbury, in my constituency. Many students who acquire their skills here go on to find employment in the local economy, an example of the important role which the College is fulfilling."
ENDS
Notes
1. Photograph – Christian Notley, lecturer at Chichester College, and Nick Herbert MP at the WorldSkills carpentry workshop.
2. To read more about WorldSkills see www.worldskills.org.
3. To read Chichester College’s news, ‘Cabinet maker honoured at 10 Downing Street’, see https://chichester.ac.uk/news/chichester-college-cabinet-maker-honoured-10-downing-street.