Apprentice elite go for glory and gold

Years of dedication, hothouse training and success in regional heats have taken the team from the chill of Birmingham (where the UK finals were held) to the white-hot heat of the WorldSkills Final in Sao Paulo.

Semta, the not for profit organisation, engineering skills for the future which drives the competition in the UK, says WorldSkills epitomises how nations treat their skilled young.

One finalist, Andrew Beel, aged 21, from Glasgow, who works at Pacson Valves in Dundee, has survived a gruelling four-year selection process to get to the very pinnacle of his profession.

Beel trained at New College, Lanarkshire, and hopes to come back with a gold medial for Mechanical Engineering CAD. He says: "I am going for a gold – and I have a realistic chance. The training goes on until I get on the plane in August – and I need to raise my game a little by then.”

Beel, who scooped Gold and was named Best in Nation at EuroSkills 2014 in Lille to add to the Gold medal he won in Birmingham, has pledged to keep his ‘lucky’ beard for the finals.

Ann Watson, CEO of Semta said: "Britain should look and learn  - the status of young engineering apprentices is far higher in other countries than it is here. If the Government is to achieve the challenging target of 3 million new apprentices during this Parliament, we will have to achieve a cultural shift in the country’s attitude to vocational training.

"Young engineers are lauded by other countries – given superstar status, feted by the media – and applauded by the public.

"The standing that engineering holds is often mirrored by the performance of a nation’s manufacturing base and economy – these young people need to be granted iconic status.”

The competition, which has competitors from 80 nations, takes place from 11th to16th August.

The Engineering Team UK in full:

Aeronautical Engineering – Shayne Hadland, aged 24 from RAF  Benson

CNC Milling – Michael Watson, aged 21, from Bristol, working at GKN Aerospace

CNC Turning – Alex Elton, aged 19, from Nuneaton, working at Clamonta.

Construction MetalWork - Christopher Hanson, aged 21, City Training Bradford

Industrial Electronics – Balint Bogdan, aged 21 from Belfast Metropolitan College,

Manufacturing Team Challenge - Patrick Devanney, Dominic Trees & Christopher Renwick, from Carnaud working for MetalBox

Mechanical Engineering: CAD – Andrew Beel, aged 21, from Pascon Valves

Mechatronics – Andy Smith & Robyn Clarke, both 22, from Chester working at Toyota Manufacturing UK

Sheet MetalWork Technology – Harley Brian, aged 20 KMF, Newcastle Under Lyme

Welding – Reece Taylor, aged 22,  from County Durham working at Dyer Engineering