Following a successful and comprehensive tender process, WorldSkills UK has confirmed that a Refrigeration Air Conditioning competition will be included in the WorldSkills UK Competitions portfolio in 2016. 

Local qualifying heats will be held across the spring and summer, with the highest scoring competitors invited to take part in the national finals at The Skills Show at the NEC Birmingham in November.

A new competition organising committee has been formed, including representatives from commerce, educational bodies and standards setting organisations, to oversee the management and administration of all elements of the competition.  The agreement also provides the opportunity for young people to compete for a place in the squad at WorldSkills Kazan 2019, with the first group of competitors invited to compete at The Skills Show squad selection event in 2017.

Dr Neil Bentley, chief executive of WorldSkills UK, said: “We are delighted to confirm that refrigeration air conditioning is returning to the WorldSkills UK competition portfolio for the forthcoming cycle. The new competition organising committee will provide a direct link between skills competitions and industry and, in a first for WorldSkills UK, will be implementing a self-funding, sustainable competition model to ensure its long-term security: great news for the future development of the industry.”

He added: “WorldSkills UK Competitions enable our young people to develop and test their skills against strict criteria. By showcasing their abilities against world class standards, the competitors demonstrate the value of their talent to their employers as well as to the wider economy.  We look forward to working with the very best of the UK’s young talents on the road to Kazan.”

“We are delighted to be part of the WorldSkills UK portfolio, with our new approach to implementing and operating sustainable competitions,” says Paul Ryder of Datateam, representing the competition organising committee.  “We are looking forward to engaging and exciting young people about the considerable career choices available in this vital industry.'

WorldSkills UK Skills Competitions play a vital role in raising standards, esteem and levels of expertise in further education, apprenticeships and skills, through competition activities and local initiatives.  By taking part in the competitions, young people develop their technical and personal skills, enabling them to test their knowledge against their peers and to showcase their talent and expertise on a national and international stage. Chris Baillie won a silver medal in Refrigeration Air Conditioning at WorldSkills São Paulo in 2015, as part of the UK team which ended the global competition in seventh place in the medal table.

For more information about the competition, and how to enter, please visit:  http://www.worldskillsuk.org/worldskills-uk-competitions/for-competitors/register-to-compete