WorldSkills UK competition winners announced
The UK's most talented apprentices were honoured at a glittering awards ceremony held at the NEC, Birmingham last week as part of WorldSkills UK.
The Skills Show – which took place between 15 and 17 November - saw more than 500 young people take part in 61 WorldSkills UK national competitions in a range of skills. The competitors battled it out to win Gold, Silver and Bronze and ultimately be named the 'best of the best' in the UK at their chosen skill.
Scooping the top prize in the advanced mechanical engineering challenge was David Liptrop, an apprentice at BAE Systems' Preston training centre, while Simon Todd from the QinetiQ Apprentice Training School was named the overall winner of the aeronautical engineering challenge.
David Cargill from Northern Regional College was named the winner of the mechatronics challenge, while University of Manchester student Xheng Hao Chong scooped Gold in the mobile robotics category.
Speaking at the ceremony, Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said: "Congratulations to all of this year's winners. Vocational skills helped make the UK in generations past and will build Britain's future. I very much hope today's winners will inspire the stars of tomorrow."
Theo Paphitis, Patron of the Skills Show, added: "Congratulations to the winners of this year's WorldSkills UK National Competition Finals. There has been some fantastic work produced and I hope this will show everyone how apprenticeships and vocational training can lead to worthwhile and valuable careers."
