2013 New Zealand “Tool Blacks” announced

2013 New Zealand “Tool Blacks” announced

WorldSkills New Zealand media release, 4 September 2012

The team to represent New Zealand at WorldSkills 2013 has been named this week, with 14 young tradespeople from around the country earning their place as “Tool Blacks”.

Held every two years, WorldSkills 2013 is an international competition in which skilled tradespeople from around the world compete for the honour of being recognised as the best in their vocation.

In July next year more than 1000 competitors from 61 countries will descend upon Leipzig, Germany, to compete in 45 different categories. These include traditional trades, such as cooking, plumbing and welding, but also a number of newer disciplines, such as aircraft maintenance and floristry.

The competition is open to anyone who has completed their training and in under the age of 22.

New Zealand’s “Tool Blacks” were selected after the WorldSkills New Zealand national finals in July this year, which saw the best young apprentices from eight regions around New Zealand battle it out.

Peter Spencer, Chief Executive of WorldSkills New Zealand, said there are a number of benefits that come from these competitions.

“Our young tradespeople learn to set goals for themselves and excel under all kinds of pressure, which is great for their self-confidence, but mainly it’s about benchmarking our training against the best from around the world to ensure we are training to the highest standards.

“It’s great for New Zealand too. These competitions highlight career opportunities and encourage young New Zealanders to take up trades and work hard to succeed, and we also get the opportunity to show the quality of our workforce on the international stage.”

The “Tool Blacks” now have 10 months to get in as much training and practice as they can to ensure they’ll be ready to take on the world at WorldSkills 2013.

ENDS

2013 Tool Black Team

Sheet metal: Currently Sheet metal is overseeing further training before making a final decision between two National Competition finalists. It is expected that the competitor for Leipzig will be decided before Xmas 2012.

ENDS

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