Joiner Isaac’s skills earn medallion for excellence

Isaac, from Rathfriland, was one of five talented Northern Irish students who made up Team UK at this year’s international WorldSkills showcase.

WorldSkills, often referred to as the ‘Skills Olympics’, saw over 1,500 young professionals from 69 countries compete in 62 different skills over four intense days, with more than 250,000 spectators in attendance.

Competing against 22 skilled tradespersons within the cabinet making competition, Isaac’s highly commended status was announced in WorldSkills Lyon’s closing ceremony last Sunday in the OL Arena in Lyon.

Isaac’s journey to France began with a gold medal at the 2022 WorldSkills UK national competition.

This early success earned Isaac a place on Team UK and the opportunity to compete at EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023, where he narrowly missed out on a medallion by three marks.

Determined to succeed in this year’s international competition, Isaac made the brave move to relocate to England for six months to be close to Team UK mentors, trainers and industry experts.

Isaac spent the past week in Lyon, setting up his workstation on the Monday before commencing competition the next day.

During the near week-long competition, Isaac faced mini deadlines throughout, testing his practical, planning and scheduling skills.

Linsday Bronte, Organisational Development Manager at SRC, flew to Lyon to support Isaac, alongside Gary Mackin, the college’s Head of Faculty for Building, Engineering and Technology.

Lindsay commented: “Receiving a Medallion for Excellence is an amazing achievement for Isaac, who was competing against 21 other cabinet makers from as far afield as Costa Rica and China.

“It is so deserved for Isaac to get the recognition he deserves after months of hard work and preparation. All at SRC are extremely proud of Isaac.”