A Carmarthenshire student has been selected to take part in a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent the UK at WorldSkills London 2011.
David Bowen, who is working towards a BTEC National Diploma in IT at Coleg Sir Gâr, will compete against others from all over the world in web design. He is the only member of the team from Wales.
WorldSkills London 2011, which takes place at ExCeL from 5-8 October 2011, will be the world’s largest international skills competition with young people from across the globe competing to be the ‘best of the best’. At the competition, 1000 competitors from over 50 countries will compete in 46 skill areas over four exciting days. The event will also offer visitors impartial advice and guidance on careers and apprenticeships.
David, who is 18, was selected as part of the 43-strong UK team after taking part in a four day selection competition in June. His route to this success included winning the silver medal at the WorldSkills UK Web Design competition in 2010, and prior to this winning the top place in the skillscompetition Wales web design competition earlier that year; one of the many skills competitions funded by the Welsh Government with the support of the European Social Fund.
During the tough international competition David, who built his first website when he was 12, will have to build and design a website in just 20 hours.
To celebrate his inclusion in Team UK, David joined the 42 other members of the team for a reception at Buckingham Palace.
Deputy Minister for Skills, Jeff Cuthbert, said:
“I am delighted that David has been selected as part for the UK team for WorldSkills 2011. His selection is testimony to his talent and hard work, and I’m sure he will do Wales proud.
“I hope David’s achievements will be an inspiration to other people who are considering vocational training as a path to future success.”
David said:
“It’s a great honour to be selected for WorldSkills and I’m looking forward to competing against the best in the world. Being involved in this event has been a big-boost to my confidence and I have learned a lot competing and training for the finals.
“In the long term, I’m definitely interested in a career in web design. I’d prefer an apprenticeship to university, as I’m much more of a hands-on practical kind of person. It’s also great that local companies like James Good Limited have provided training in my skill area, meaning I was able to gain industrial experience in my skill.”
The members of Team UK have been and will continue to be supported in their training by Edge, the independent education foundation, the Premier Supporter of Squad and Team UK and Brathay Trust, the Premier Training and Development Partner of Squad and Team UK.
