Sam Sibert, CNC machinist and higher level apprentice at BG Engineering in Chesterfield, is one of four finalists selected from across the country to compete against the best of the best students and apprentices from across the UK in the high profile WorldSkills UK competition taking place in Birmingham later this week.
Run annually, and managed by WorldSkills UK, the competitions cover over 50 skill areas from construction and engineering through to creative and hospitality. The competitions are designed by industry experts and they assess an individual’s knowledge, practical skills and employability attributes against a set of strict criteria.
Distinction star student and talented apprentice, Sam will be using the skills he has developed since he started studying engineering at Chesterfield College 3 years ago, which he has developed during his apprenticeship, to impress the judges. He told us about what he had to do to be shortlisted and what it means to be competing:
“It feels amazing to be competing. Being selected really boosts your confidence and makes you believe in your ability. To enter the competition I had to produce a component from a drawing within a 10 hour time limit and send it away to be graded. Although I could draw on all the skills I use every day at work, there were all kinds of intricacies and problems that I had to solve as part of the task that I hadn’t encountered before. In a work situation I would ask advice from my more experienced colleagues but in competition conditions I had to think for myself using what I already knew. It was a challenge but I loved it!”
Good luck Sam! We’re all rooting for you.