SETU staff and apprentices recently travelled to WorldSkills Shanghai to compete in the 48th edition of the international competition.
Several SETU apprentices were among the competitors selected to represent Team Ireland at WorldSkills Shanghai, demonstrating the high standard of skills and training fostered through the University's apprenticeship programmes.
Held in the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai, the international competition saw competitors from around the world come together to compete in their respective trades.
SETU representation
Among the members of Team Ireland was SETU Joinery Apprentice, Darragh Brett. After four days of intense competition, Darragh walked away with a medal of excellence.
It was an amazing experience, and I was thrilled to compete and showcase my skills at Shanghai. It was a tough couple of days, so to walk away with a medal of excellence and finish tenth in the world was surreal.
Darragh Brett SETU Joinery Apprentice
Frank Trench, SETU lecturer and Joinery Expert Lead spoke about the importance of the event and competition. Frank said, “Skills-based education and apprenticeship training plays a vital role in the building Ireland’s skilled workforce. Seeing the talent and expertise of the participants, as they represent Ireland on the international stage is extremely exciting.”
International stage
Competing at this level allowed SETU participants the opportunity to benchmark their skills against global standards, gain valuable experience and build connections around the world.
Their selection to represent Team Ireland reflected the high standard of training delivered through SETU's apprenticeship programmes, while providing an opportunity to showcase their skills globally.
SETU has a longstanding history of apprenticeship training across its campuses in the southeast. Apprenticeship training in Ireland is linked to SOLAS through Generation Apprenticeship, a programme dedicated to building valuable work-ready skills in a chosen occupation through structured education and training.