DIT hosts 53rd annual National Skills Competition
22nd September 2010
Dr. Mike Murphy, Director and Dean of the College of Engineering and Built Environment (left) and Mr. Tom Corrigan, DIT Dean of Craft Education (far right) with DIT competitors in the National Skills Competition
The 53rd annual National Skills Competition is taking place in DIT throughout this week and apprentices from all over Ireland have converge on Dublin to compete to be the national champion in their chosen trade. The competition aims to test every aspect of the skill and workmanship of the apprentices over an intense period of two and a half days. Organised by DIT, the event is sponsored by Snickers Workwear for the fifth year in a row. The results of this year’s competition will be announced at a ceremony to take place on Friday 24 September in the Mansion House, Dublin.
Since 1950s the National Skills Competition has heralded the start of the new educational year for young apprentices – details on the background to the competition can be found on http://www.skillzireland.com/ Donal Keys, Chairman of the DIT National Skills Organising Committee said: “National Skills 2010 will test apprentices from all over Ireland. We have everyone from cabinetmakers from Letterfrack to aircraft engineers for Ryanair in Dublin; the variety and depth of skills is huge. This week they will receive two and half days of intensive testing, which will ensure only the best competitors can win the title of national champion in their trade and go on to represent Ireland.” The competition will cover twelve different trades: Aircraft Maintenance; Automobile Technology; Autobody Repair; Bricklaying; Cabinet Making; Car Painting; Cookery; Heavy Vehicle Mechanics; Painting & Decorating; Plumbing; Polymechanics; and Sheetmetal Work. The competitions will take place on campus in DIT and at the Aviation Technology Centre at Dublin Airport, where participants will work on aircraft engines.
Donal Keys, Chairman of NSC Committee, at the launch of the competition which is sponsored by Snickers Work Wear
According to David Macken, Managing Director of Snickers Workwear (Ireland) Limited, this year the backdrop to the competition is a bleak one for young people hoping to learn a trade. During the height of the boom there were 8,779 apprentices studying for a trade in Ireland; in 2010 there will be only 1,237 - a decrease of 86%. This presents obvious difficulties for young people struggling to find work, but any upturn in the future could be hampered by the lack of young tradespeople. “Ireland used to export its tradesmen to work all over the world and we have a great reputation abroad for the high level of our workmanship” said Mr. Macken. “However, the numbers of school leavers undertaking apprenticeships has suffered hugely during the recession, with young workers taking the brunt of cutbacks by employers. It is therefore vital that we have competitions such as the National Skills Competition, which supports apprenticeships during these troubled times and helps promote the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our trades.”
DIT competitors at the launch of the National Skills Competition 2010
Every two years the best Irish apprentices compete in World Skills, which has been dubbed the Olympics for tradespeople. World Skills 2011 will take place in London and it is hoped that Ireland will be well represented. “Irish apprentices have proven that they have some of the highest levels of workmanship in world” said Donal Keys. “We have an enviable record at World Skills where we’ve won the gold medal in 3 out of the last 4 years for car mechanics and also won gold last year for aircraft mechanics. That’s an incredible achievement for such a small country as Ireland.”
DIT apprentices Arlene Sheppard and Mary Gore, competitors in Car Painting, holding Keith Commons, DIT competitor in Painting and Decorating at the National Skills Competition 2010
For World Skills 2011 please see: http://www.worldskillslondon2011.com/
