COME AND HAVE A GO, IF YOU THINK YOU'RE SKILLED ENOUGH
The international skills competition, WorldSkills, was held this year at ExCeL in London and was the largest international skills competition ever held. More than 200,000 people visited.
WorldSkills works in a similar way to the Olympics. Competing countries, (of which there are 51), send their competitors to take part in a four-day competition during which they must show their creativity and specific technical ability as they compete to be named ‘best of the best’ in their chosen skill. There are 46 skills categories including:
- Transportation and logistics
- Manufacturing and engineering technology
- Information and communication technology
- Creative arts and fashion
- Social and personal services and of course
- Construction and building technology.
Each category is broken down further into individual trades. This year more than 1000 competitors from around the world took part.
WorldSkills more than just a competition though; it also acts as a careers fair allowing young people to meet top employers and get specialist careers advice. This year there were also “have a go” areas which gave visitors the opportunity to have a go at the various skills areas represented at WorldSkills.
Visitors to WorldSkills do their part for "the house WorldSkills built"
FMB AT WORLDSKILLS
As the largest trade association in the UK construction industry, the FMB was invited to be involved with WorldSkills London to help showcase some of the interesting and varied skills involved in construction and the rewarding careers these can lead to.
The FMB exhibition stand featured a model brick house which was made of miniature real clay bricks provided by ClayClay and designed by FMB partner HBXL, the specialist building software publisher. Visitors to the FMB stand were invited to help build “the house that WorldSkills built” and each day the 1,400 brick, double storey model house was completed. In fact the model house building was so popular that there were queues of visitors wanting to take part! Another FMB partner, Hamerville – publisher of Professional Builder magazine, was also on the FMB stand making the most of WorldSkills to ‘soft’ launch its new publication ‘Apprentice Builder’.
FMB MEMBERS INVOLVED
Each day we had an FMB member and apprentice on the stand ready to talk to visitors about what attracted them to (and keeps them in) construction. One member working on the stand was London Region Councillor, Lee Goodwin of Oakleafe Construction. Lee said: “WorldSkills was an opportunity to meet young people and encourage an interest in a career in construction. The competitors demonstrated excellent skills, knowledge, creativity and talent. In the hands of these young people, construction skills are safe but it is crucial that we continue to attract talent into the industry which is why WorldSkills, and events like it, are crucial to the future of the industry. I’m glad that the FMB ensures skills and the future of the industry are firmly on its agenda.”
Robin Sporn of Sporn Construction said: “To be on the stand at WorldSkills 2011 gave us a wonderful opportunity to represent the FMB, meet Government Ministers, showcase our master craftsman at Sporn Construction and also to meet the young people considering a career in the construction industry. It was good to be able to encourage and advise what will hopefully be the next generation of craftsmen in the industry. I share the FMB objective of promoting the professional reputation of the construction industry, and I feel that FMB was a very important presence at WorldSkills.”
Mark Fairbairn, carpentry apprentice at Sporn Construction commented: “WorldSkills exceeded my xpectations. The FMB stand was very popular and although a little daunting it was great to speak to young people entering the industry and giving them a clear insight into what a career in the construction industry can offer.”
Adam Hall, masonry apprentice at Sporn Construction added: “The FMB stand generated a lot of interest and eager volunteers to help in the construction of the FMB house. It was a fun way of introducing the skills involved in masonry which hopefully has illustrated the degree of skill required by craftsmen with the industry.”
Nick Orchard and Craig Baptist of 'England's Finest' with 'Neville' inviting visitors to have a go at model house building
South West FMB member, Nick Orchard of ‘England’s Finest’ who was also on the stand said: “My apprentice, Craig Baptist, and I were pleasantly surprised at the very high standards of workmanship on show at the WorldSkills event, especially so in the case of the construction section. These young guys and girls are at the top of their professions at an early age which can only be good for the future of the construction industry. It was great that the FMB was there to promote the same high standards of its members in such exclusive company.”
Nick’s apprentice, Craig said: “I enjoyed world skills because it gave me an insight into all of the different trades and how different the standards and techniques are around the world.”
The winners were announced on the Sunday at the closing event, which was held at London’s 02 Arena. The Team GB finished with five gold, three silver and six bronze medals. And it was particularly good news from the construction industry with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals for team GB coming from construction and building technology competitors.
The FMB played host to the tiling competitors, their experts and assessors on the Monday night before WorldSkills. The FMB invited the group of 40 to Greenwich in South London for traditional English afternoon tea and then out for a tour of historic Greenwich, World Heritage site and home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Meridian Line. The group then went off on the tour around Greenwich in groups of three, accompanied by: Richard, Hayley Fry, (FMB Head of Training) Neil McQue, (Southern Regional Director) and Jayne Runacres, (FMB Media & Communications Manager). The tours took in famous Greenwich landmarks including Sir Christopher Wren’s old Royal Naval College (including the chapel and the painted hall), the Thames, the market and the site of the Cutty Sark. The group then met up again the Greenwich landmark pub “The Trafalgar” where the tilers enjoyed a pint of traditional British ale each before heading back to their hotels for the night.
