UK engineers confident of success at WorldSkills 2011

In March 2011, universities and science minister David Willetts warned of a skills gap stemming from a mismatch between graduates’ skills and the demands of employers, criticising some universities for failing to produce suitably qualified candidates.

In view of this, many are hoping that an international competition to be held in London in October will put vocational skills squarely in the foreground and inspire young people considering their future careers.

WorldSkills 2011 offers youngsters from all over the world the chance to compete in their chosen specialism. Dubbed ’the Skills Olympics’, the event will see more than 1,000 competitors from 50 countries competing in 45 categories. In manufacturing and engineering technology there is a field of 13 categories, including mechatronics, mechanical engineering CAD, CNC turning, welding and a manufacturing team challenge. As many as 150,000 visitors are expected to come to London’s ExCeL to watch the event, which has not been held in the UK since 1989.