Young engineers show skills

Three young engineers from around the UK will travel to Japan in November to participate in the international workplace skills competition WorldSkills 2007.

WorldSkills is a not for profit association whose members have a responsibility for promoting vocational education and training in their respective countries. It aims to provide a means of exchanging world-class competency standards in the industrial trades and service sectors of the global economy.

The UK engineers number among the 22 UK participants, all under 23, who will be competing in various categories in the four-day competition.

Michael Westlake, 20, is mechanical engineering apprentice using computer-aided design and draft (CADD) software at Matcon, a capital equipment supplier based in Gloucestershire. He became interested in CADD while at college and now hopes to be a chief design engineer within five years.

Philip Jackson, 22, from Malvern, Worcestershire, works in CNC (computer numerical control) milling for Yamazaki Mazak UK. His career goal is to employ his skills in Formula 1 engineering.

Stuart Greer, 20, is an apprentice welder at Doosan Babcock Energy in Ulceby, North Lincolnshire.