A TEAM of talented UK youngsters is bidding for glory at a “skills Olympics” this week.
The EuroSkills 25 contest sees 600 people from 33 countries compete for European Championship medals in 38 different categories.
It features competitions ranging from creative arts and fashion to web development, advanced manufacturing and engineering — and the UK team may just turn up a Mo Farah of the skills world.
The event, which runs every two years as part of the global WorldSkills movement, is being hosted by Denmark.
Such competitions are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, with the number of entries in some skills doubling since the pandemic.
Companies are using them as a way to train their best staff and seek out future leaders, while competitors can highlight their results to potential employers.
Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK, said: “Our skill competitions give young people the chance to develop world-class expertise, gain hands-on experience, explore new career paths and showcase their talent nationally and internationally.”
The growing interest in skill shows is now being touted as a way to attract more young people to vocational careers and help close the UK’s worrying skills gap.
Latest figures from the Learning and Work Institute have estimated that the economic cost of the gap will reach £120billion by 2030.
The areas with the biggest skills gaps include digital, where 23 per cent of employers say their current workforce lacks the basic skills they need, and manufacturing, with 57 per cent of firms finding it “challenging” to get staff with the right skills.
Freya Thomas Monk, Managing Director of skills specialist Pearson Qualifications, said: “Matching our skills system with what industries need is key to boosting the economy and keeping the UK competitive in areas such as advanced manufacturing.”
Competitors can be entered into the event by their college or employer and, as well as the major WorldSkills and EuroSkills competitions, there are a growing number of skills tournaments across the country.
These include the motor industry’s IMI Skills competition, the electrical trade’s SkillElectric and London’s Inter-College Skills show.
Many ex-contestants say that competing at a skills show can turbo-charge your career.
Former contestant Ethan Davies, who represented the UK at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi in 2017, is now the UK Manufacturing Lead at Electroimpact, a factory automation and tooling specialist which supplies Boeing.
He says: “I know the life-changing impact these opportunities can have on young people.
“Skill competitions promote higher standards of performance and innovation, which wouldn’t necessarily be gained elsewhere.”
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‘Competing has made my work so much better’
PAINTER and decorator Shelby Fitzakerly is representing the UK at EuroSkills 2025.
She had planned to go to uni before deciding to learn a trade.
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Shelby, 21, from Accrington, Lancs, said: “I feel so proud to represent the UK in a skill I love.
“When I started in painting and decorating, I could never have even imagined I would one day be competing on the European stage, and hopefully even the world stage in Shanghai next year.
“At EuroSkills, being even just a millimetre out on a measurement can mean the difference between winning a medal and missing out.
“I dedicate all my spare time to practising, and I’m already seeing the results.
“I can now complete jobs faster and with greater accuracy.
“I’m determined to use the competition to raise the profile of careers in painting and decorating, while making my family and my colleagues at Spain Building & Maintenance proud.”
JOBSPOT
BARCHESTER HEALTHCARE has more than 500 open vacancies nationwide – in care, catering, housekeeping and maintenance roles.
BIG CLEANING JOB
JOIN the fight to make England cleaner.
The Environment Agency is recruiting more than 80 permanent roles across the country to carry out vital work tackling water pollution in rivers, lakes and seas.
Jobs include Team Leaders and Environmental Crime Officers, with Environment Officer positions open from September 29.
Recruits will receive full training and play a crucial role in holding polluters to account.
Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said: “We encourage a wide range of applicants from across the country to apply and play a vital role in delivering swift action to create a cleaner environment.”
See environmentagencyjobs.tal.net/vx/appcentre-1/candidate/
RACE TO THE TOP
WANT to break into the competitive world of Formula 1?
Drivers Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson have launched a competition to design a new helmet for their pit crew.
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The pair placed the brief on services platform Airtasker.
The winner will be commissioned to create the helmet, which will be worn by the Racing Bulls crew during the race weekend in Qatar this December.
The chosen “tasker” will also win £500.
The pair said: “The pit crew have been crushing it, and we want a special-edition helmet for them – something wild, unforgettable and creative as a thank you gift.”
Apply at tinyurl.com/25twfu3j, after setting up an Airtasker account.
JOBSPOT
CHICKEN restaurant chain Wingstop is hiring now for shift managers, assistant managers and crew.
To find out more, check out harri.com/wingstopuk
DELETE MAIL TO REDUCE CARBON
THE average UK worker has 199 unread work emails, but leaving messages in your inbox can have a negative impact on the environment, as well as on stress levels.
A recent study revealed storing a single email for one year produces around 10g of carbon dioxide, while the global annual impact of sending and receiving emails is 150million tonnes of CO2 a year, or 0.3 per cent of the world’s carbon footprint.
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Psychologist Zoe Aston has partnered with HR software firm Personio to help you minimise your digital clutter . . .
- Consider why your inbox is always full. Our relationship with work often mirrors our personal relationship patterns, especially when it comes to boundaries. Are you avoiding certain demands and interactions to preserve energy?
- Leaving someone “on read” can be overload, not rudeness. When chats and notifications are endless, your brain starts choosing where to connect and where to delay.
- Try batching emails. Check and respond to emails at set intervals rather than constantly switching tasks.
- Do a regular digital declutter. Archive or delete old emails to reduce storage and CO2 emissions.
- Set boundaries. Determine which emails require immediate responses and decide which can wait.
- Use filters and folders, and automate organisation to keep your inbox manageable and reduce mental load.
- *Multiple tabs open are not always a sign of disorganisation. They can be a visual reminder system for all the things you want to come back to. But they can also be a symptom of an always-on mindset that keeps your brain in constant gear, so close those you do not need.
