Girl power leads the charge
UK industry’s most talented learners, apprentices and technicians were crowned Skills Show 2016 champions after three days of intense competition – with six of the seven girls competing in Semta’s engineering competition making it on to the podium.
Katie Goodwill, Rolls-Royce plc and Christine McDowell Belfast Metropolitan College struck gold, Eva Blessing Onyelou, Middlesex University and Hannah Frost UTC Sheffield took silver while Nicole Catney of Belfast Metropolitan College and Kendal Irvine of JCB Transmissions were awarded Bronze in Semta’s engineering competitions, which saw 116 regional heat winners battle it out for medals.
They were among more than 500 talented young people who took part in competitions covering 61 different skills over three days at Birmingham’s NEC in front of thousands of visitors.
Independent judges assessed the work of competitors and the winners were presented with their medals at The Medal Ceremony on Saturday evening (Nov 19).
Ann Watson, chief executive of Semta who are the organising partner for 13 of the engineering competitions on behalf of WorldSkills UK said: “It is fantastic to see so many talented young engineers being recognised for excellence and especially pleasing to see more girls than ever before making it on to the podium in our competitions.
“To compete in front of tens of thousands of visitors and then win a medal is a tremendous achievement.
“I am very encouraged by the standards set and congratulate not just the winners but all those who took part, showcasing their skills and hopefully inspiring the next generation into a career in engineering.”
The engineering competitions run by industry skills specialist Semta are: Aeronautical Engineering (Avionic), Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical), CNC Milling, CNC Turning, Industrial Electronics, Mechanical Engineering: CAD, Mechatronics, Robotics, Construction MetalWork, Sheet MetalWork, Welding and the Manufacturing Team Challenge.
Among the many employers represented were JLR, BAE Systems, Airbus Operations, Qinetiq, Toyota,MPI Ltd and Alstom Power.
As well as the competitions at The Skills Show, a series of high profile speakers gave inspiring spotlight talks, seminars and there were Have-a-go opportunities in dozens of skills disciplines.
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- Mechanical Engineering CAD Ross Megahy New College Lanarkshire
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- Welding (SkillWeld) James Leigh Elliott Alstom Power
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- CNC Turning Katie Goodwill Rolls-Royce
MEDAL WINNERS:
| Competition | Level | Forename | Surname | Organisation | Region | Medal |
| Aeronautical Engineering: Avionic | Advanced | David | Firth | Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group | East of England | Gold |
| Aeronautical Engineering: Avionic | Advanced | Jack | Prince | QinetiQ | South West | Silver |
| Aeronautical Engineering: Avionic | Advanced | Ryan | Pattison | Royal Navy | South East | Bronze |
| Aeronautical Engineering: Mechanical | Advanced | Ben | Higgins | QinetiQ | South West | Gold |
| Aeronautical Engineering: Mechanical | Advanced | Balazs | Sparing | Coleg Cambria | Wales | Silver |
| Aeronautical Engineering: Mechanical | Advanced | Thomas | Roberts | MPI LTD | East of England | Bronze |
| CNC Milling | Advanced | Leigh | Clarke | Electroimpact UK Ltd | Wales | Gold |
| CNC Milling | Advanced | Ryan | Dexter | Electroimpact UK Ltd | Wales | Silver |
| CNC Milling | Advanced | Joe | Harrison | Coleg Cambria | Wales | Bronze |
| CNC Turning | Advanced | Katie | Goodwill | Rolls-Royce PLC | East Midlands | Gold |
| CNC Turning | Advanced | Sam | Sibert | Chesterfield College | East Midlands | Silver |
| CNC Turning | Advanced | Oliver | Hyde | Training 2000 Limited | North West | Bronze |
| Construction MetalWork | Advanced | Christopher | Taylor | Training 2000 Limited | North West | Gold |
| Construction MetalWork | Advanced | Benji | Daems | Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education | Yorkshire and Humberside | Silver |
| Construction MetalWork | Advanced | Jonathan | Holding | Burnley College | North West | Bronze |
| Industrial Electronics | Advanced | Christine | McDowell | Belfast Metropolitan College | Northern Ireland | Gold |
| Industrial Electronics | Advanced | Daniel | Skinner | BAE Systems | South East | Silver |
| Industrial Electronics | Advanced | Nicole | Catney | Belfast Metropolitan College | Northern Ireland | Bronze |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | Andrew | Joyce | CarnaudMetalBox | Yorkshire and Humberside | Gold |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | Mark | Smith | CarnaudMetalBox | Yorkshire and Humberside | Gold |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | James | Thomason | CarnaudMetalBox | Yorkshire and Humberside | Gold |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | Ewan | Holley | Magellan Aerospace (UK) Ltd. | Wales | Silver |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | Liam | Hutchinson | Magellan Aerospace (UK) Ltd. | Wales | Silver |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | Gareth | Vale | Magellan Aerospace (UK) Ltd. | Wales | Silver |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | Dylan | Edwards | JCB Transmissions | Wales | Bronze |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | Kendal | Irvine | JCB Transmissions | Wales | Bronze |
| Manufacturing Team Challenge | Open | George | Walker | JCB Transmissions | Wales | Bronze |
| Mechanical Engineering: CAD | Open | Ross | Megahy | New College Lanarkshire | Scotland | Gold |
| Mechanical Engineering: CAD | Open | Andrew | Mill | New College Lanarkshire | Scotland | Silver |
| Mechanical Engineering: CAD | Open | Alex | Corcoran | Training 2000 Limited | North West | Bronze |
| Mechatronics | Advanced | Tom | Coote | BMW UK Manufacturing | South East | Gold |
| Mechatronics | Advanced | Matthew | Webb | BMW UK Manufacturing | South East | Gold |
| Mechatronics | Advanced | Hannah | Frost | UTC Sheffield | Yorkshire and Humberside | Silver |
| Mechatronics | Advanced | Tom | Spires | UTC Sheffield | Yorkshire and Humberside | Silver |
| Mechatronics | Advanced | Branagh | Arden-Howard | BMW UK Manufacturing | South East | Bronze |
| Mechatronics | Advanced | Jai | Robinson | BMW UK Manufacturing | South East | Bronze |
| Mechatronics | Higher | Alex | Bufton | Toyota Manufacturing Ltd | East Midlands | Gold |
| Mechatronics | Higher | Jamie | Mann | Toyota Manufacturing Ltd | East Midlands | Gold |
| Mechatronics | Higher | Andrej | Lieskovsky | Middlesex University | London | Silver |
| Mechatronics | Higher | Piotr | Nowicki | Middlesex University | London | Silver |
| Mechatronics | Higher | Will | Davis | UTC Sheffield | Yorkshire and Humberside | Bronze |
| Mechatronics | Higher | Kamil | Zmich | UTC Sheffield | Yorkshire and Humberside | Bronze |
| Robotics | Open | Kai | Bryant | The John Warner School | London | Gold |
| Robotics | Open | Brooklyn | Pedley | The John Warner School | London | Gold |
| Robotics | Open | Eva Blessing | Onyeulo | Middlesex University | London | Silver |
| Robotics | Open | Rahul | Vekaria | Middlesex University | London | Silver |
| Robotics | Open | Robert | Cockerill | The John Warner School | London | Bronze |
| Robotics | Open | Callum | Joy | The John Warner School | London | Bronze |
| Sheet MetalWork Technology | Open | John-Robbie | Sanderson | Training 2000 Limited | North West | Gold |
| Sheet MetalWork Technology | Open | Gareth | Phillips | Coleg Cambria | Wales | Silver |
| Sheet MetalWork Technology | Open | Andrew | Parsons | City of Wolverhampton College | West Midlands | Bronze |
| Welding | Advanced | James Leigh | Elliott | Alstom Power | West Midlands | Gold |
| Welding | Advanced | Conor | Alexander | Lakes College, West Cumbria | North West | Silver |
| Welding | Advanced | Sam | Meagan | Lakes College, West Cumbria | North West | Bronze |
