Left to right: Nader Imani (Festo Didactic), Elfi Klumpp (WorldSkills Germany), Kandeh K. Yumkella (UNIDO) and Simon Bartley (WorldSkills International)

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will work with WorldSkills International and WorldSkills Germany on generating worldwide awareness of the essential contribution that skills and industrial development make to the achievement of economic success.

This was agreed today at a meeting between UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, WorldSkills President, Simon Bartley, and WorldSkills Germany Managing Board Member, Elfi Klumpp.

“Traditional trade and craft skills along with the newer technology multi-skilled vocations make an essential contribution to the economic and social well being of people around the world,” said Yumkella. “Our cooperation with WorldSkills aims at fostering a symbiosis between industry and education and, by doing so, creating global awareness on various levels in the education and industry sector as well as in governmental institutions.”

Korean national Hee Jae Yoo takes the gold medal, Japan’s Yuki Okayama secures silver and Andrin Cavegn from Switzerland takes the bronze in the “Industrial Control, Skill 19” category at the 41st WorldSkills Competition held in London in October. As a product sponsor of the Industrial Control competition, Siemens provided the finalists with automation and drive technology components for the contest.

London, United Kingdom (Monday, 10th October, 2011) – On Monday, 10th October, 2011 the official handover of the leadership of WorldSkills International (WSI) took place. Tjerk Dusseldorp, who has served as President of WSI for 12 years, stepped down and Simon Bartley is stepping up to take his place.

Simon was elected President of WorldSkills International at the organisation’s General Assembly in October 2010 and begins his four-year term on 10th October 2011, the day after the Closing Ceremonies for WSI’s most celebrated biennial event – the WorldSkills Competition.

Leaders of the global skills movement have set out a vision for a new era of skills to drive global economic growth.

Speaking as WorldSkills London 2011 closed at a glittering Ceremony at The O2, organisers said the event had showed how skills can deliver innovation, economic growth and engage young people.

Chris Humphries, Chair of WorldSkills London 2011, said:

"The young people who have competed in WorldSkills are the very best in the world and we know these Competitors will go on to establish multi-national businesses, develop new products and services and continue to lead their industries – just as their predecessors have done.

Thursday 6 October - Department for Business Innovation & Skills

Business Secretary Vince Cable will today set out how new investment of more than £20 million will boost skills and drive growth in key industries including nuclear manufacturing, renewable energy and healthcare.

£11 million of Government matched funding, awarded following the first round of bids to the Growth and Innovation Fund (GIF), will enable employers to deliver more effective skills solutions through more apprenticeships, new professional standards and closer partnerships with education and training providers.

New analysis reveals fastest growing skills-based jobs of the last decade

Over 1,300 new Apprenticeships have been announced by some of the UK’s largest and most innovative companies to mark the start of WorldSkills London 2011, the world’s greatest international skills Competition, jobs and careers event.

Employers announcing the new Apprenticeships include technology companies 3M, Cisco and XMA, BMW’s UK dealers, Bentley Motors, precision measurement specialist Renishaw and hair and beauty supplier Ellisons.  

Starbucks has also announced that it will be using WorldSkills London 2011 as a platform to recruit 1,000 new permanent salaried trainees as it prepares for London 2012.

The company has been promoting youth and technology for 20 years

There is an air of excitement and suspense once again: from 5th to 8th October the WorldSkills competition will be staged at ExCeL London, and Festo will be participating with a team of its own and as a Global Sponsor Partner. The 41st instalment of this international vocational championship is expected to attract around 1,000 participants from over 50 countries, who are setting out to demonstrate their prowess in 46 vocational fields.

One of the largest disciplines in this competition is mechatronics. Two young mechatronics engineers from Festo, who qualified in early 2011 at the German Mechatronics Skills Competition at Stuttgart’s didacta trade fair, are currently undergoing intense preparation for their big moment as “Team Deutschland”: the Festo trainees Christian Schweizer and Tobias Dietrich will be lining up in the Mechatronics competition against 31 further teams from various countries.

Die Vorausscheidungen zur Teilnahme an der Berufsweltmeisterschaft von WorldSkills International sind abgeschlossen. Aus über 40 Berufen wird worldskills Liechtenstein sieben Berufe vertreten. Wir gratulieren den Kandidaten für die tollen Leistungen und bedanken uns bei den Unternehmen und Experten, welche mit grossem Aufwand eine professionelle nationale und internationale Ausscheidung ermöglicht haben.

• Nr. 1 Polymechaniker, Ilir Ajgeraj, OC Oerlikon, Balzers
• Nr. 7 CNC Fräser, Sandro Ospelt, Hilti Aktiengesellschaft, Schaan
• Nr. 19 Anlagenelektriker, Sebastian Kind, LKW, Schaan
• Nr. 20 Maurer, Martin Noser, Anton Ospelt AG, Vaduz
• Nr. 24 Schreiner, Benjamin Vetsch, Müller AG, Mauren
• Nr. 33 Automechaniker Raphael Hermann, Weilenmann AG, Schaan
• Nr. 39 IT PC und Netzwerk Support, Mathias Vetsch, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan

Sebastian Kind, Raphael Hermann, Martin Noser, Benjamin Vetsch, Sandro Ospelt, Ilir Ajgeraj, Mathias Vetsch

GERMANY (March 3rd, 2011) – The aim is to improve the quality of vocational education and training worldwide. Siemens has signed a partnership contract with the non-profit organisation WorldSkills International (WSI). As a Global Industry Partner, Siemens will support WSI in improving the quality of vocational education and training worldwide. Siemens is the 10th Global Industry Partner, swelling ranks that include companies like Wuerth, Festo and Samsung, and it will consolidate the topic area industrial automation at WSI. At the same time, Siemens will be a product sponsor of the 41st WorldSkills Competition to be held in London in October 2011. Siemens will provide equipment in the two competitions "Industrial Control" and "Polymechanics/Automation", and for this purpose it will equip the Competitors with automation and drive components.

Kandidaten, Experten und das Komitee von WorldSkills Liechtenstein trafen sich beim ersten Trainingslager im Valünatal.

„Spezialisten ausbilden und trainieren, damit sie in ihrem Bereich international top sind“, lautet die Mission der WorldSkills Liechtenstein. Acht Kandidaten und ihre Experten bereiten sich derzeit intensiv auf ihr grosses Ziel, die Berufsweltmeisterschaften vom 4. bis 9. Oktober in London vor. Das erste Trainingslager auf der Alpe Waldboden gemeinsam mit dem Komitee war das Kick off Event für das bevorstehende Grossereignis. „Es ging darum, das Team zu formen und den richtigen Spirit zu vermitteln. Neben dem fachlichen Niveau ist die soziale Kompetenz und die Fähigkeit ans Limit zu gehen von grosser Bedeutung“, erklärt der Offizielle Delegierte Stefan Sohler.

Gold medal winners from this year’s cycle of the WorldSkills UK competitions were honoured at the WorldSkills UK 2010 Competition Awards yesterday (Thursday 4 November 2010), in a ceremony which took place at the IMAX Cinema in London.

Hosted by celebrity chef Brian Turner CBE, more than 100 people were presented with the prestigious Gold Award at the annual ceremony which recognises and celebrates the accomplishments of all gold medal winners at WorldSkills UK National Competitions. The competitions are run in over 50 skill areas and test competitors knowledge and practical application against current industry benchmarks. Brian Turner CBE is a board member of UK Skills, the organisation which manages WorldSkills UK.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA (October, 8th, 2010) – After six weeks of intense campaigning, the WorldSkills International General Assembly (GA) began the rigorous election process. The vote for President went to a second vote as there was not a clear majority among the three candidates. In an unprecedented occurrence, there was then two tied elections! The GA postpone the election process until the next day to enable the two candidates to further dialog with delegates. On Friday, October 8th, 2010, the GA reconvened and began the voting process again. This time there was a clear majority for the President and then all remaining positions were filled.

Leading international education experts book the date in your diary

01 June 2010, Manama: A global education summit launched last year in Bahrain will return to the Kingdom in October, reuniting international experts focused on improving the quality of education worldwide.

The second occasion of the Education Project will take place from 8-10 October, bringing together the community of educators formed at the inaugural event last year. The annual platform was initiated by His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain and Chairman of the Kingdom’s Economic Development Board (EDB). It was established to help shape the future of education, described last year by HRH the Crown Prince as the most important issue to the future of any country.

By Skillbuild Northern Ireland

Construction apprentices from all over Northern Ireland tested their skills in the largest multi-trade skills competition in the Province at South West College, Enniskillen, on May 12-13, 2010.

Providing a unique stage to showcase excellence and talent, Skillbuild NI (Northern Ireland) is hosted each spring and over 100 of the top construction apprentices competed to win coveted titles in 13 different craft areas, ranging from plumbing to bricklaying and, for the first time, electrical installation. The winners may then go on to represent Northern Ireland in the UK and Skillbuild finals.

Skillbuild NI competition test pieces are designed to challenge the ability of apprentices to follow detailed instructions, produce accurate and neat work outputs, be economical with materials and work to strict timescales – all essential requirements for today’s construction industry. The competition not only encourages trainees to improve their own skills but provides an example of the high quality work being produced in training organisations across NI to meet local industry skill levels.

By UK Skills

A team of talented young landscape gardeners that helped create a garden designed by UK Skills to showcase ‘world class talent’ have had their achievements celebrated by the Experts at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show by winning a silver medal.

UK Skills, the not for profit organisation that champions skills and learning for work through competitions and awards, created the garden “Growing World Class Talent: celebrating the workforce of tomorrow”, to promote excellence in vocational education and training. It also aimed to illustrate how greater investment in skills and development will help lift UK industry out of recession. The garden features a variety of edible, ornamental and native plants and showcases the wide range of skills that are required to construct an outdoor space suitable for 21st century living. The garden was judged in the Urban Garden category at the Show.

All 26 young members of Team UK were honoured (9^th October) at a prestigious reception at City Hall, London, to celebrate their fantastic achievements at WorldSkills Calgary 2009, the skills equivalent of the Olympics.  They were joined by celebrity guest Matt Dawson MBE.

7 September

Channel Seven Sunrise will showcase the medallists from the 40th WorldSkills Competition tomorrow (8th September) at 7:40am EST.

Be watching Sunrise for interviews with the Skillaroos live from the Tailgate Football Party at McMahon Stadium, Calgary.

Following the Sunrise broadcast, log on to the WorldSkills Australia website (www.worldskills.org.au) for the launch of the official Closing Ceremony footage of the Skillaroos.

CALGARY, September 6, 2009 – A boisterous international crowd filled the Stampede Corral in Calgary, Alberta as medalists were announced during the Closing Ceremony of the 40th WorldSkills Competition.

WorldSkills International President Tjerk (Jack) Dusseldorp declared the Calgary Competition an overwhelming success. “I am very pleased to offer you my judgment that this has been the best Competition ever,” he said.

The week-long celebration and showcase of skill brought together the finest young professionals in trades and technologies from 51 Member countries/regions. More than 900 Competitors in 45 skills, ranging from fashion technology to mobile robotics, vied for the gold medals and awards over four days of intense, often highly stressful competition. Total attendance for the event, including Opening and Closing Ceremonies, was 151,589.

The Closing Ceremony was a magnificent display of energy and excitement as medalists and special awards were announced at the sold-out event. The Albert Vidal Award was presented to Mr. Thiam Shui Tan of Singapore, as the Competitor with the highest overall score of the Competition. Korea led all Members at WorldSkills Calgary 2009, winning 23 medals. Switzerland and Japan tied for second, with 14 medals each. Chinese Taipei was third, with 12.

“I am truly in awe at the talent and determination I’ve witnessed this past week. I saw firsthand the very best and brightest young tradespeople and technologists hone their skills and pursue excellence in their respective fields this past week,” said Richard Walker, President and CEO of WorldSkills Calgary 2009. “Each Competitor should be proud of his or her achievement tonight. They displayed commitment, passion and grace under pressure. They are all Champions.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Great 38” wins 8 Medals and 12 Medallions of Excellence at WorldSkills 2009

CALGARY, Alberta, September 6, 2009 (WORLDSKILLS CALGARY 2009) – After the completion of four days of international competition, Team Canada proudly took the podium today at the closing ceremonies of WorldSkills Calgary 2009 to receive official recognition for their outstanding performance. Made up of 31 male and 7 female competitors ranging in age from 18 to 22, Team Canada took an impressive 8 Medals and 12 Medallions of Excellence.

Media Release - 7 September 2009

The young New Zealand team of “Tool Blacks”, contesting the WorldSkills Competition in Calgary, Canada, gained six Medallions for Excellence from the seventeen trade categories in which they competed during the four-day event.

While the team did not win gold, silver or bronze at the 2009 contest, the medals won showed that they were well amongst the leaders of the over 800 Competitors from 51 countries/regions who took part.

The New Zealand medal winners were Ben De Groot, of Gore, competing in the Electrical Installations category; Elliott Wilkes, of Palmerston North, Sheet Metal Technologies; Thomas Townsend, Auckland, Cooking; Marcel Woods, Kaikohe, Automotive Technology; Royce Richards, Christchurch, Printing; and Jared Lamb, Palmerston North, Welding.

Ben De Groot was judged “Best of Nation” by the international judging panel for New Zealand.

The New Zealand team of 17 was the largest from this country to compete in the international event that is held every two years.