Going for gold at the 45th WorldSkills competition in Russia
Think of gold medals and it’s unlikely that the WorldSkills Competition comes to mind, but this epic annual tournament brings competitors from 63 countries to battle it out across 56 skills on an international stage. Wintec plumbing tutor Bryan Smith is one of the chief experts assisting the New Zealand contingent in Kazan, Russia taking place 22-27 August 2019.
“There are 51 competitions all in the same venue at the same time and 1700 competitors” Smith explained. The competitors work in a 1.5km long and 900m wide space with designated areas for each of the categories involved including hairdressing, electronics, floristry and joinery.
The New Zealand team hails from all corners of the country and consists of a welder, plumber, millwright, car painter, baker, chef, plumber, air craft engineer and a mechanic. They will take part in in a variety of competitions using complex plans and secret materials designed to test their accuracy and speed skills.
The competition, affectionately labelled the “trades Olympics”, aims to increase the visibility of skilled as well as facilitate the exchange of information between industry and education. Around 1,300 experts will analyse the final work of competitors with the winner taking home a gold medal.
Learn more about studying trades at Wintec.
Read more:
How this Design Junkies contestant gets to do what she loves every day
Two Māori ‘aunties’ are taking carpentry class to new levels
