WorldSkills Europe presents skills director with Honorary Associate

A director at Coleg Sir Gâr who leads a national skills project has been awarded an Honorary Associate by WorldSkills Europe for the development of skills excellence.

Paul Evans, who started his teaching career as a carpentry lecturer was unknowingly presented with the award at a WorldSkills Team UK farewell event held at Loughborough University.

In 2014, armed with the experience of training his own students for skills competition success, Paul moved into a project management role within a new project called Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales (ISEiW).

The ISEiW project is based at and led by Coleg Sir Gâr and is funded and driven by Welsh Government.

It works towards three pillars which include providing ‘have a go’ sessions across Wales offering a taster of various careers using a highly invested modern kit. The other objectives are organising and preparing students and their lecturers for Skills Competition Wales events 

and international WorldSkills UK competitions, where students have the opportunity to train and be selected for Team UK.

Paul’s role offered him the opportunity to manage a project that supports learners and lecturers across the whole of Wales who want to challenge their skills and take them to the next level within their own subject area which can include anything from joinery to restaurant service.

With his extensive experience of nurturing and challenging learners, he was later successful in gaining a director role within the project and his team have guided many students across Wales towards regional, national and international success within WorldSkills competitions which has taken their career paths to a brand-new level.

Paul has travelled as far Europe, Brazil and Abu Dhabi to support Welsh competitors, including those from Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion, within their individual competition categories.

He joins a handful of people selected every year who make an outstanding contribution to raising standards in skills and training in Europe.