Garvagh, Tobermore and Ballymoney NRC engineering students selected for WorldSkills UK squad

Four engineering students from Northern Regional College have been named in the UK squad hoping to compete at the WorldSkills international finals in France next year.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

They are engineering students Charlie Carson, from Ballymoney, Jason Scott, from Tobermore and Luke Cassidy and Jude Moore, both from Garvagh.

All four were medallists at WorldSkills UK national finals in the Robot Systems Integration category.

They are among the 13 young people from Northern Ireland selected for the 94 strong Team UK squad. They now begin an 18-months of intensive specialist training in a bid to secure their place on WorldSkills Team UK and with it, a chance to compete against their peers from over 80 nations at the international finals in Lyon in September 2024.

NRC lecturer Carla Koch with Worldskills Bronze medallists Jason Scott and Charlie CarsonNRC lecturer Carla Koch with Worldskills Bronze medallists Jason Scott and Charlie Carson
NRC lecturer Carla Koch with Worldskills Bronze medallists Jason Scott and Charlie Carson

The squad will be guided through their training by a team of highly skilled trainers, industry experts, former medal winners and performance coaches to help them prepare for the pressure of competing at such a high level. The final team to represent the UK on the international stage will be announced in 2024.

NRC has enjoyed considerable success at WorldSkills UK. In 2021, the College had a clean sweep in the Industrial Robotics category and in 2022, the College won gold and bronze medals in the same category.

NRC is the only FE college in Northern Ireland to have four representatives on the UK squad. The other NI members of the squad are: Ben Priestley and David McKeown, Riverpark Training, Autobody Repair; Georgia Abernethy, Belfast Met and Ronan Kerr, South West College, Cooking; Wiktoria Kurkowska and Anastasiya Kovtun, Southern Regional College, Chemical Laboratory Technology; Andrew Reain, South Eastern Regional College and Andrew McCann, South West College, Plumbing & Heating; and Isaac Bingham, Obin Specialist Joinery, Cabinet Making.

Heather Cousins, Head of Skills and Education at the Department for the Economy, congratulated the local members selected for the UK squad: “For NI to gain 13 places on the UK squad demonstrates, once again, the strength of the talent we have here. Each one of the locally selected competitors can be very proud of their achievements.

Jude Moore, bronze medallist at WorldSkills UK national finals 2021, has been named in the UK squad hoping to compete at the WorldSkills international finals in France next yearJude Moore, bronze medallist at WorldSkills UK national finals 2021, has been named in the UK squad hoping to compete at the WorldSkills international finals in France next year
Jude Moore, bronze medallist at WorldSkills UK national finals 2021, has been named in the UK squad hoping to compete at the WorldSkills international finals in France next year

“The success of all the squad members is evidence of what can be achieved on the national and international stage and I wish the whole squad the very best as they go forward for further specialist training.”