Apprentice joiner Ross Fiori who works for Langley Furniture Works and who attends Carlisle College has been selected to take on the crème de la crème of Europe in the first big skills pressure test of the post Brexit era – EuroSkills.
Ross will join thirteen of the UK’s best young apprentices and professionals in Team UK – selected, trained and mentored by education and skills charity WorldSkills UK. The members of Team UK will be heading to Austria in January (6 – 10) to do battle with more than 500 competitors from 28 Countries who practice 45 different skills disciplines including joinery.
The competition in Graz, which was postponed due to the Covid crisis, is seen as an important indicator as to how the UK’s skills systems measure up against key economic competitors across Europe.
Ross, who is being trained and mentored by Andrew Pengelly, WorldSkills UK Training Manager and lecturer at Chichester College, has already been through an exhaustive year long process of regional competition, national finals and team selection to get to this point. Now he faces months of intensive training raising standards to elite international level, under the guidance of Andrew.
Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE said: “Forget the Euros next season, this is going to be epic, and far more fundamental to the future of our country – demonstrating the next generation is developing the skills we need to help build back better our economy and remain internationally competitive.
“There has been so much conjecture as to how the United Kingdom will fare in terms of skills performance. The competition with 27 of our near neighbours across the continent will be a brilliant benchmark and show what Team UK is made of.
“Congratulations to Ross and I wish him and Andrew the best of luck with their training for EuroSkills.”
Ross said: “I am totally honoured to be selected to represent the UK at EuroSkills. Training in lockdown hasn’t been easy but we have adapted our preparations and I’m so excited to be representing the country at EuroSkills. My employer Langley Furniture Works and Carlisle College have been really supportive, and I can’t wait to get out to Austria and compete.”
Grant Glendinning, Executive Principle for NCG (North) said: “We are incredibly proud to hear that Ross has been selected to represent the UK at EuroSkills, To be selected as one of only fourteen of the UK’s best young apprentices and professionals which make up Team UK is a fantastic achievement. All at Carlisle College wish Ross all the best for the competition in January, it will be a brilliant experience and we look forward to hearing all about it. Ross has a great future ahead of him.”
Governments and industry will be watching with interest to benchmark how well Team UK performs compared to the country’s main European competitors. At the previous EuroSkills finals, held in 2018 in Budapest – Team UK finished ninth. WorldSkills UK will use its participation in the EuroSkills Finals to direct the work of its Centre of Excellence, in partnership with NCFE, which utilises WorldSkills UK’s unique insights into European and global skills systems to mainstream excellence in skills development.
Andrew Pengelly, WorldSkills UK Training Manger said: “Preparation for EuroSkills hasn’t been easy, but Ross has been totally committed to his training. At international competition, and at work, being smart and confident in your timing and processes is the key to success and I know that Ross will deliver a performance at EuroSkills that we can all be proud of. He is a great ambassador for our industry.”