Back Britain's latest brightest prospects at WorldSkills – the largest international skills contest

09/05/2024 06:17 PM

IT'S not just our Olympians and Paralympians going for gold in France this year.

Next week sees the start of WorldSkills, in Lyon, the largest international skills contest, held every two years.

The UK is sending 31 youngsters to compete against hopefuls from 65 countries in 62 different technical disciplines, from 3D game design and cyber security to plumbing and cabinet making.

It comes at a crucial time, with the Labour government announcing the launch of the new Skills England body, designed to tackle the nation's growing skills gap.

Government figures show that between 2017 and 2022 our skills shortages doubled, meaning a lack of skilled candidates now accounts for 36 per cent of all job vacancies.

Meanwhile, the Learning and Work Institute estimates the skills shortage will cost the country £120billion by 2030, due to a shortfall of 2.5million highly skilled workers and an oversupply of 8.1million people with traditional intermediate or low skills.

Employment experts hope Team UK's success at WorldSkills will help highlight the importance of skills-based learning and make qualifications such as T levels more attractive to school leavers.

Top five for digital

Emma Roberts, director of external affairs at WorldSkills UK, said: "Our team of competitors will showcase the world-class technical and professional skills that UK employers are crying out for.

"The focus on world-class training standards is crucial to boost the prestige of technical and vocational education, inspiring many more young people to take up technical and vocational training to help drive investment, jobs and economic growth."

The UK has been taking part in the WorldSkills competition since 1953 and the event is used by governments, economists and global business leaders to plan skills investment and economic growth.

At the last WorldSkills contest in 2022, the UK came tenth overall and featured in the top five for digital skills.

This year, the UK will be entering the Additive Manufacturing and Renewable Energy categories for the first time.

All members of Team UK are under 25 and will compete in disciplines including cyber security, renewable energy, digital construction, cooking, hairdressing and painting and decorating.

Among the employers sending their apprentices and trainees to the WorldSkills event is Steer Automotive Group, with valued apprentice Miguel competing in the Car Painting category.

Steve Hoe, head of academy and organisation development at Steer, said: "Miguel has gained new skills through his WorldSkills UK international training, and by passing these on to the wider teams, many more have benefited from his participation in WorldSkills.

"He has inspired apprentices across our group, and we are all cheering him on."

Reds Hair has Charlotte Lloyd competing in the Hairdressing category.

Owner Claire Winnall said: "For an independent salon in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, to be able to say we have one of the best young hairdressers in the world is fantastic.

“It benefits our clients, staff and the community."

lFor more information or to apply for WorldSkills 2028, you should go to worldskillsuk.org.

It’s plane sailing for top joiner

GO-GETTER Harry Scolding is representing Team UK at joinery.

The 21-year-old from Solihull, West Mids, who runs HDS Joinery, says: "Since childhood, I've always had a passion for building things, and I knew I wanted a career making things out of wood.

"I secured an apprenticeship when I was in Year 10 and my tutor at Solihull College spotted my potential and put me forward for the WorldSkills UK.

"Taking part has been a whirlwind of emotions.

"I can't describe how hard I worked to get this place in Team UK.

"I'm delighted to represent my country and show the world that the UK is still a global power in joinery – and I'm going for gold.

"I would like to see apprenticeships put on an equal footing with university degrees.

"I knew that university wasn't right for me, but when I was at school, that's all they wanted to talk to me about.

"I was proactive and had the support of my family to find an apprenticeship, but I had to look for the information.

"Being part of the WorldSkills UK training programme means I have had the opportunity to learn new skills.

"I want to use these skills to grow my business and move into high-end bespoke joinery projects.

"That's my passion and my ultimate aim."

Learn how to say no

A VIRAL TikTok video on setting boundaries at work has sparked a debate on how to say no to your boss.

The post by Alex Schudy, which has more than two million views, shows Alex letting her boss know she can't take on any extra tasks due to her existing workload.

Are you in need of help when talking to your boss about this tricky subject?

HR expert Lucas Botzen, who has worked with payments firm Dojo, explains how businesses and employees can help set healthy boundaries . . . 

1. CLEAR AND DIRECT COMMUNICATION: When voicing concerns around your capacity, be forthright.

Say, "I appreciate your belief in my abilities, but with what's on my plate right now, I wouldn't be able to give this the proper attention".

This shows you have consideration for the quality of your work.

2. CREATE A SHARED LIST OF TASKS: Track your workload and clearly share it with your team.

This could be as simple as keeping a visible project board.

3. ENCOURAGE REGULAR COLLEAGUE CHECK-INS OVER WORKLOAD: When team members are genuinely looking out for one another, it becomes easier to collectively manage boundaries and reduce cases of feeling overburdened.

4. OFFER ALTERNATIVES: Rather than just saying no, offer a new timescale or suggest another team member who may have spare capacity.

5. REVIEW YOUR PRIORITIES: Keep re-prioritising your tasks.

In this way, you can easily track your tasks and deadlines, manage your time effectively and set boundaries with others.

If others realise your full commitments, they are likely to respect your need to say no.

IT may have been National Payroll Week, but three in five frontline shift workers believe they are missing wages.

The study by HR firm UKG also found that 38 per cent say they are often paid late, while 23 per cent do not receive their payslips.

Worryingly, 14 per cent have had to use a payday loan to make up for late or inaccurate pay.

Neil Pickering, from UKG, said: "Many workers in this sector feel things are out of control and ownership is in the hands of the employer."