Double celebration for Wales’ apprentices

Four of Wales’ most talented apprentices were honoured by Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Julie James at a special send-off ceremony last night, just weeks before they travel to São Paulo, Brazil, to represent the UK in the final of the world’s largest international skills competition.

There was more good news for vocational learners at the event when the Deputy Minister announced that further funding for apprenticeships has been confirmed. The announcement of EU funds for East Wales brings the overall amount of investment in apprenticeships in Wales over the next four years to £284million with the EU contributing £83million. The Welsh Government and EU investments will fund nearly 94,000 apprenticeships in Wales over the next four years.

WorldSkills, often described as the Skills Olympics, sees around 1,000 young people aged 18 to 25, from all over the world, come together every two years to compete for medals in more than 40 different skills including Electrical Installation, Welding, Web Design, Cooking and Bricklaying.

The four Welsh competitors at WorldSkills São Paulo 2015; hairdresser Eleni Constantinou, 21, from Caerphilly, auto technician, Elijah Sumner, 20, from Cardiff, Industrial Control student Luke Elsmore, 20, from Blackwood and carpentry student, Owain Jones, 21, from Blaenau Ffestiniog, are among 41 members of Team UK who will compete in 37 skills. Just like the Olympics, each member of Team UK is supported in their training by a dedicated Training Manager and Performance Coach.

All four were invited to a special ceremony at the Norweigan Church in Cardiff Bay where the Deputy Minister presented them with platinum WorldSkills badges to celebrate their success in reaching the world final.

Luke Elsmore said he could not wait to go to Brazil:

“I am really excited. It is so great to have this opportunity to prove myself on a world stage. I’m honoured to be representing not only Wales but also the UK, and that people feel that I’m capable of competing at such a high level.

“I still can’t really believe that I’m going to São Paulo. I really hope this inspires other young people in Wales to take part in something like this, as it’s a great opportunity and it has been a fantastic experience so far.”

The Deputy Minister said:

“I am so proud that Eleni, Elijah, Luke and Owain will be competing against the very best in their field from across the world.

“I am delighted to announce that further funding for apprenticeships has been secured.  This is excellent news for both young people and employers. Over the next four years, with the help of EU funds, we are investing £284million to help our young people gain the skills, experience and qualifications they need to succeed in the workplace.”

“Apprenticeships offer high quality learning that provides our young people and their employers with the skills Wales needs to compete effectively in the world economy.”

First Minister, Carwyn Jones also offered his best wishes to the Welsh competitors:

“I’d like to wish Eleni, Elijah, Luke and Owain all the very best in São Paulo. I am sure they will enjoy this challenging and unforgettable experience.

“It’s great that ten per cent of Team UK are from Wales – further proof that Wales punches above its weight on the world stage.

“I’ve no doubt our competitors will be excellent ambassadors for Wales and hopefully more of our young people will be inspired to follow in their footsteps”.