Young Canterbury engineer set to take on the World

Young Canterbury engineer set to take on the World

Mathew Pascoe of Christchurch’s Lyttelton Port Company is one of New Zealand’s most promising young engineers – and he’s set to showcase his skills at the 41st WorldSkills International Competition.

Mat, 21, won the Polymechanics skill category at the National WorldSkills competition in Christchurch late last year, qualifying him to compete at this year’s international event in London.

In October, Mat will be heading to London as part of a 17-strong team of ‘Tool Blacks’, to put his skills to the ultimate test.

WorldSkills International is held every two years and brings together over 1,000 of the world’s best young tradespeople (under 23 years of age) from 50 countries to compete across 46 different trade skill categories.

“The nationals were definitely challenging,” says Mat. “They were a bit of a head scratcher and I had to work really hard.”

Winning the national event didn’t guarantee Mat’s selection however. WorldSkills NZ CEO, Peter Spencer, interviewed and personally selected all 17 representatives not just for their outstanding trade skills, but also for their qualities to become ambassadors for New Zealand throughout the competition.

Right now Mat is perfecting his Polymechanic skills to prepare for the event, supported by his mentor Roland Spirig from the Waikato Institute of Technology - through which he completed two block courses to prepare for London.

“Working with Roland is great,” says Mat. “He really knows his stuff.”

Polymechanics involves repairing and maintaining machines and systems in production plants. It is a culmination of skills, involving manufacturing, fitting, milling, drilling and many more. “There are a diverse range of aspects that Mat must be trained in,” says Roland. “It’s a tall order.”

With Roland living in Waikato and Mat in Christchurch, meeting has been difficult. However the two are in regular correspondence via email to discuss training strategies and progress.

“We are working through previous competition projects to make sure we cover all facets of skill sets that Mat might need,” says Roland.

Entrants must complete a complex, practical project over an intense four days of competition, testing their planning, technical knowledge, and skills in a high pressure environment.

While most sectors are given their competition project to practice prior to the event, the Polymechanics category is ‘blind’ - making preparation challenging.

Funding has also been challenging – and slow – with Christchurch businesses feeling the pinch lately. Mat is grateful for the sponsorship he has received from Foodstuffs and other local businesses despite the tough times they are facing.

Mat’s apprenticeship was managed by Competenz, the industry training organisation for the engineering sector. His selection is testament to the skills and knowledge he has learned through training on-the-job.

Mat will be joining two other talented young engineers – William Taylor of Etech Industries in Palmerston North (Sheetmetal Technologies), and Brad Wood of South Waikato Precision Engineering in Tokoroa (Welding) – who also recently completed their mechanical engineering apprenticeships with Competenz.

“Mat is competing against 14 others – it is hard to know what to expect,” says Roland, “but Mat has been working really hard.”

To find out more about Mat and our other engineering WorldSkills competitors, to learn more about WorldSkills 2011, or to check out sponsorships options to help get our lads to London, visit www.competenz.org.nz. Or follow the team’s progress on www.worldskills.org.nz

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