Joinery Apprentice reaches WorldSkills UK National Final
Luke Turner, a Joinery Apprentice with Magenta Living, has reached the National final of the prestigious WorldSkills UK competition. The finals in November will see him compete to lift the trophy in the carpentry category.
The prestigious WorldSkills UK competition provides students with the opportunity to showcase their specialist skills on a national stage. It allows them to benchmark themselves against the very best in the country, with the opportunity to be crowned national skills champion. Luke Turner has made it to the finals of the competition in the carpentry category where he will compete against 6 other finalists in a timed demonstration of his growing skills. Over 3000 people registered to take part in the UK wide competition in March. Only 400 made it through to battle it out across 64 disciplines to be crowned national skills champions.
Luke is a joinery apprentice with Magenta Living, a housing association in Birkenhead. The 21-year-old began training at Wirral Met College in 2020 on a Level 2 Bench Joinery Diploma. The college is the training provider for Magenta Living’s carpentry and joinery apprenticeship, where he continues to learn new skills and techniques that he hones in the field. Luke spends one day a week at the college’s world-class Wirral Waters campus and four days a week at Magenta Living, working on a variety of joinery projects. Wirral Met College has been a WorldSkills Centre of Excellence since 2020 and is one of only four colleges in the North West to hold the prestigious title. The WorldSkills UK competition-based development programmes are designed by industry experts. They enhance the practical skills and knowledge taught on training courses by assessing an individual’s employability attributes against set criteria in a competitive timed environment. The programme has a real impact on those taking part. Ninety percent of previous entrants say their career progression improved after competing. Eighty five percent state their personal and employability skills improved.
On hearing he had reached the final, Luke said: “The national qualifiers were tough, but I was pretty confident with what I was doing because of the training from my Wirral Met tutor. It was fun and good to stretch myself and be tested in that way. Working under pressure helps see what you are capable of. It was great news. I’m excited to see what the next round holds.”
Sue Higginson, Principal at Wirral Met College said: “I am so proud Luke who has demonstrated, through hard work and dedication to learning, he is fit for the world stage.”
Haydn Hansford, Assistant Director of Building Services at Magenta Living added: “Luke has worked extremely hard and is a reliable and dedicated member of our Building Services Team. We wish him all the very best for the finals. Our partnership with Wirral Met College is extremely valuable to us and allows us to give local students, like Luke, the opportunity to learn and gain more practical experience through an apprenticeship.”
The carpentry finals will be held at Bircham Newton, Norfolk with the winners crowned at a ceremony hosted by TV presenter Steph McGovern from her Packed Lunch studio on Friday 26 November.
If you would like further information on apprenticeships and how to apply for them, talk to
the Apprenticeship Support by Be More Team They provide impartial information and advice on apprenticeships across the Liverpool City Region.
