Apprentice turned trainer takes to the skies for world’s number one skills event

AN apprentice turned educator will take to the skies and represent Team UK at the world’s most prestigious skills event.

Former Airbus Aeronautical Apprentice Rosie Boddy – now a Technical Training Officer at Coleg Cambria Deeside – will compete in the Aircraft Maintenance category at WorldSkills 2024, to be held in Lyon, France, this September.

The 22 year-old, originally from Farnborough and now living in Broughton, is one of just 31 participants from the UK and can’t wait to take on the challenge of facing young people aged 25 and under from more than 65 countries.

Having completed an NVQ Level 3 Extended Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering, Rosie is thrilled to now have a permanent role at the college.

She thanked the Early Careers team at Airbus and staff and former lecturers at the college for their support, notably Curriculum Director – Full-time Apprenticeships, Jamie Mapp-Jones.

“I am delighted to be chosen for Team UK, it really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.

“My WorldSkills UK journey started back in 2021 with Airbus, competing in the UK National Finals, which I repeated the following year, winning a gold medal in the Aircraft Maintenance category.

“From there, I was selected to be part of Squad UK which involved 14 months of training, so to now be part of Team UK and to represent my country is amazing.

“The process has been challenging with a lot of training on my days off and around work and it is only going to get tougher in the lead-up to September, but I am so excited for the journey and so grateful for this opportunity.”

Rosie added: “Throughout my apprenticeship and now as an employee, Coleg Cambria and Airbus have been incredibly supportive, I can’t thank them enough for that.

“The support from everyone at WorldSkills UK has also been amazing throughout this whole process, they really do push you to be the best version of yourself both from a skills perspective and from the performance and wellbeing side, which is so important for competition.

“I would strongly encourage young people to get involved, it is a great way to build up your skills and kickstart your career. The training I have received in the process has been fantastic and I have learnt so much already which has helped me in my job at Cambria.

“I am beyond excited for Lyon, it is going to be an incredible opportunity to showcase my skills and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”

Jamie praised Rosie for her dedication to the WorldSkills process and said: “Within Rosie’s first year as an apprentice, she clearly demonstrated her attention to detail and also strived to improve her skills and knowledge as an Aeronautical Engineer.

“The resilience from performing in the UK nationals at HMS Sultan, to then spending another year training to achieve gold in Cardiff a year later, demonstrated she was destined for this fantastic opportunity to represent the UK in this prestigious competition.”

Team UK will compete in disciplines including cyber security, renewable energy, digital construction, cooking, hairdressing, and painting and decorating.

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive for WorldSkills UK, said: “WorldSkills Lyon 2024 – think Olympic Games – where the prize is the world-class skills that UK employers are crying out for.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the exceptional young people in Team UK; they are fantastic role models.”

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Luke Hall added: “Best of luck to our remarkably talented competitors. WorldSkills is an excellent opportunity to prove on the global stage that we have built a world class skills and apprenticeship system. I am hoping for a podium sweep from our apprentices and students in Lyon.”

For more on this year’s WorldSkills competition, visit the website: WorldSkills UK | Raising Apprenticeships & Technical Education Standards.

Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for the latest news and information from Coleg Cambria.