Josh Hunter Flies Out to Abu Dhabi to Compete in the WorldSkills Finals 2017
JOSH AMONGST THE UK’S FINEST APPRENTICES AS THEY GO FOR GLOBAL GLORY
After being selected for Team UK and winning his training event in Australia, Josh joined Thirty-Four super skilled young apprentices and students are pursuing global glory at the ‘Skills Olympics’ finals in Abu Dhabi.
They are the nation’s elite young women and men who have been selected by WorldSkills UK to go for gold against the best of the rest of the world – in a litmus test for the future of our economy.
Talented Team UK members have beaten off the challenge from thousands of fellow and former apprentices and students to represent the UK at the WorldSkills Finals in Abu Dhabi this October (14 - 19) in skills ranging from Aircraft Maintenance and Construction Metal Work through to Electrical Installation and 3D Game Design.
Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton said:
“It’s a great pleasure to wish every member of Team UK the best of luck in competing at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017. There is no higher honour than representing your country on the world stage.
“This is the most prestigious and high-profile event of its kind in the world. I know that each individual member of the team will give their all to reach their potential. In doing so they are acting as national ambassadors for apprenticeships and technical skills and demonstrating how education can change lives.”
Before they headed off to compete against more than a thousand talented competitors from 77 nations, Team UK were honoured at a special event at the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday (10 October) before flying to the United Arab Emirates the following day.
WorldSkills UK Chief Executive Neil Bentley, who was formally Deputy Director General of the CBI said: “This is a critical moment for the future of these inspirational young people – and our economy.
“The WorldSkills Finals presents the UK with a unique platform to not only showcase the best of this country’s apprentices and inspire others to follow in their footsteps, but also to help build and reinforce global trade and investment partnerships.
“Having the confidence to demonstrate the high skill level in the UK will enhance our status as a top investment destination, boosting trade relations and creating jobs in the post-Brexit economy.”
WorldSkills UK, funded and supported by the DfE, devolved governments and commercial partners, utilises revolutionary training techniques usually associated with elite sporting teams, athletes and competitors, to help young people ‘Go Further, Faster’. The organisation has developed revolutionary hothousing techniques and is spearheading the use of competition in the workplace, training centres, schools and colleges to inspire the next generation and fill the growing technical skills gaps industry needs With Brexit bringing the focus on home-grown talent into sharp relief, now is the time to adopt these world-class training practices more widely and to help boost productivity.
WorldSkills Finals are held every two years. In 2015 at the most recent WorldSkills Finals, held in São Paulo, Team UK finished overall seventh in the medal table, ahead of France and Germany - bringing home an impressive haul of medals including three gold, four silver, two bronze and twenty three medallions of excellence.
The schedule of events are as follows:
Opening Ceremony, Saturday 14 October, 4:30pm (UK time)
Think Olympics Opening Ceremony! Team UK will parade in the ceremony and you can all watch live at www.worldskills.org from 4:30pm
Photos and videos will be available from Sunday 15 October.
Competition Days, 15 – 18 October
Humber Street Regeneration Project Receives Award
The Humber Street Regeneration Project in Hull won The Great Street 2018 Award at the Academy of Urbanism ceremony in London on 8th November 2017.
The Academies mission is to recognise, encourage and celebrate great places across the UK, Europe and beyond, and the people and organisations that create and sustain them.
The Awards celebrate and learn from great place making, and cover five categories of scale, including European City of the Year and Great Town, Neighbourhood, Street and Place. This year’s Awards are highlighting places built or rebuilt since 1945 in order to learn how they have transformed themselves into being examples of good urbanism.
The Humber Street scheme was shortlisted along with High Street, North Berwick and Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham and announced by David Rudlin, Chair of the Academy at The Annual Spring Debate in April 2017. The academy then carried out summer assessment visits in order to determine the winner of each category. This process culminated in an event that was held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. Representatives from Hull City Council and Wykeland Beal attended the event which saw them receive a winners certificate and a poem written by Ian MacMillan for Humber Street and a sketch of the street.
Houlton were pleased to be involved in this successful project which has transformed the former home of the Hull Fruit Market which had been ready for redevelopment and now forms a vibrant connection between the Marina, Pier, High Street and the Deep.
