NRC Ballymena to host Worldskills UK Squad selection

This is the first time that this prestigious competition has been held in Northern Ireland and skills on show at NRC Ballymena include Mechanical CAD, Mechatronics, CNC Milling, Industrial Control and Sheet Metal Technology.

Between June 24-26, over 160 of the UK’s most talented apprentices and learners will battle it out over three days of intense competition in Northern Ireland with the hope of securing a place in Squad UK for WorldSkills Sao Paulo 2015.

The Squad UK selections will take place at Belfast Metropolitan College’s Titanic campus, CAFRE’s Greenmount campus and Northern Regional College’s Ballymena and Newtownabbey campuses.

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry said: “The selection of Northern Ireland Colleges to showcase the best of UK skills is an acknowledgement of the high quality skills in professional and technical areas, coupled with the state-of-the-art facilities in the FE sector in Northern Ireland. The competitions showcase the high levels of performance that can be achieved by individuals and organisations through quality training, inspiring young people and adults to be ambitious in their pursuit of skills to the highest level.

“There will be a series of fringe events during the competitions to promote vocational excellence and encourage employers and future apprentices to get involved. I look forward to welcoming the 160 competitors which include 30 young people from here for an intense week of skills competitions, seeking an opportunity to represent the UK at WorldSkills 2015 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.”

The competitors, all of whom are under 25 years of age, were invited to take part in the selection process for Squad UK after excelling at the WorldSkills UK National Competitions. The event is expected to bring up to 400 visitors to Northern Ireland including over 130 GB competitors, WorldSkills UK judges, training managers, performance coaches, employers and competitors’ family members.