Starret – Support for WorldSkills
Competitors in the WorldSkills Competition represent the best of their peers and are selected from skills competitions held in member countries and regions. The technical abilities demonstrated both individually and collectively to execute specific tasks are rigorously tested and measured and, as a proud sponsor of the competition, Starrett has supplied a set of measuring equipment that contestants and mentors can use to check and prove their abilities.
A global hub for skills excellence and development through international co-operation and development between industry, government, organisations, and institutions, WorldSkills promotes the benefits of and need for skilled professionals through grass-roots community projects, skill competitions, and knowledge exchange. It highlights how important skills education and training is for youth, industries and society by challenging young professionals around the world to become the best in the skill of their choice.
Head of furniture studies at Chichester College, Christian Notley is also WorldSkills UK training manager for cabinet making. He explains: “Competitors from the UK will face entrants from over 60 countries and regions in North and South America, Europe, Asia, South Pacific and Africa. They will take on similar challenges that professionals in their chosen discipline would encounter. They will be measured and must meet international standards of quality if they are to finish in a medal position, or even win.”
WorldSkills is the collective voice for skills excellence and development in vocational, technological and service oriented careers around the globe. Since its inception it has raised the awareness among the young, their parents, teachers and employers that a successful future depends on an effective skills training system. Today, WorldSkills represents more than 45 skills in 72 member countries and regions, all working together to help prepare the workforce and talent of today for the jobs of the future.
Supporting the cabinet making, carpentry and joinery skill entrants the high quality measuring equipment supplied by Starrett is worth several thousand Pounds. It includes 300 mm combination set with square, centre and reversible protractor heads and regular blades; 150 mm electronic digital calipers; 175 mm and 300 mm Pro Site protractors; steel square sets; 173MCT mm reading thickness gauge with tapered leaves ranging from 0.03 to 0.50 mm thickness; Starrett 59A trammel heads; 1,000 mm satin chrome steel rule, and long range 1,000 mm electronic digital calipers.
Each of these three skills supported by Starrett has a number of young people competing at various events for just one place in their discipline at the WorldSkills competition in August 2015, which for the first time will be held in Sao Paulo, South America. The event is expected to surpass the record number of competitors registered for the competition, WorldSkills 2013 held in Leipzig, Germany which attracted almost 1000 participants from 53 countries and regions who competed for medals in 46 skills.
Christian Notley says: “Skills competitions are held around the world to showcase and inspire world-class excellence in skills and introduce young people to a variety of skilled careers. These provide us with the opportunity to see how well the contestants work under the pressure of being constantly watched and timed, as well as their ability to follow the instructions issued.”
As well as supporting the importance of professional education, the regional and national competitions held in the run-up to Sao Paulo give Christian Notley and his peers, Andrew Pengelly in joinery and Pat Phillips in carpentry, the chance to select the best young person to represent the UK. “The marking for every competition is extremely tight, and the difference between first and second place can be just half a point. So we have to be able to trust the equipment we use to check all the work. Every piece of the measuring equipment supplied by Starrett is robust and reliable, the competitors use it to check their work as they progress through each challenge and we use it for the final assessment of every aspect of the task set. As the CAD drawing is dimensioned to two decimal places that is what we measure to wherever possible,” Christian Notley states.
Pat Phillips adds: “We must not underestimate the importance of the contact and exchange of information on best practices in professional education among industry leaders, governments and education experts provided by the event. The experience and the results of all of the competitions provide valuable feedback to the entrants, their countries or regions of origin and businesses and schools in which they are being trained. In each competition, there is an aspiration to achieve ever-higher results, while the competitors become role models to inspire school children to engage in technical and skilled careers.”
It also provides leaders in industry, government and education with the opportunity to exchange information and best practices regarding industry and professional education. “Through WorldSkills we can embrace new ideas and processes that inspire school-aged youths to dedicate themselves to technical and technological careers,” concludes Christian Notley.
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