Coleg Menai lecturer Bryn in Lyon for WorldSkills 2024
Bryn was appointed by WorldSkills UK as training manager for additive manager ahead of the ‘Skills Olympics’ in Lyon
Coleg Menai engineering lecturer Bryn Jones is currently in Lyon with the UK squad for WorldSkills 2024.
Known as ‘the Skills Olympics’, WorldSkills sees more than 1,500 young people from 65 countries compete against each other for medals in a range of disciplines.
These include cyber security, renewable energy, digital construction, cooking, hairdressing, painting and decorating and much more.
Bryn was appointed by WorldSkills UK as training manager for additive manufacturing ahead of this year’s competition. He has been mentoring Oscar McNaughton, who was chosen to represent the UK in the category.
Oscar, who studies at the University of Wales Trinity St David, is competing against others from across the world over five days this week, in tasks involving computer-aided design, 3D printing and 3D scanning.
Under Bryn’s tutelage, Oscar has trained using the state-of-the-art facilities at Coleg Menai’s Llangefni campus, as well having sessions with tech firm Autodesk in Birmingham. Former Coleg Menai lecturer Iwan Roberts, now an education manager with Autodesk, is also out in Lyon.
Bryn said: “It’s been an amazing experience being here in Lyon, seeing all these experts who are at the top of their field.
“It’s very difficult to know how Oscar will do because there are very strong competitors here from nations across the world.
“But he’s been training really well and he’s a very capable individual, so fingers crossed.”
WorldSkills UK has selected a team of 31 students and apprentices to compete in France.
Ben Blackledge, WorldSkills UK Chief Executive, said: “The UK’s participation in the ‘Skills Olympics’ will provide vital insights to ensure we can develop our apprenticeship and training programmes, to make them truly world-class.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the exceptional young people in Team UK. They are fantastic role models.”
Eight learners have been selected to represent Grŵp Llandrillo Menai in this year’s WorldSkills UK national finals, taking place in Manchester in November.
They will have a chance to stake a claim for future Team UK spots, with the next WorldSkills competition taking place in Shanghai in 2026.
The eight are: Evan Klimaszewski (Industrial Electronics), Lucas Jackson (CNC Milling), Sion Elias and Peter Jenkins (both Industrial Robotics), Heather Wynne (Hairdressing), Clare Sharples, Carwyn Littlewood and Lauren Harrap-Tyson (all Accountancy Technician).