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The 40th WorldSkills Competition is fast approaching and will take place in Calgary, Canada from 1st to 7th September 2009. At the competition, 1000 young competitors (aged 18-22) will test themselves against tough international standards in a wide range of vocational skills from landscape gardening and bricklaying to autobody repair and cooking.

Squad UK was selected in February this year and from this Squad of around 60, 26 skilled young people from across the country have now been chosen to represent the UK in Canada at the biggest skills competition in the world in skills ranging from plumbing to landscape gardening and IT. The team was congratulated at a recent event at the House of Lords by former Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell OBE and Chris Humphries CBE, UK Skills Chairman.

At WorldSkills over 200,000 spectators are expected to watch a total of over 900 competitors from 51 countries, competing in skills ranging from bricklaying to landscape gardening, cooking and floristry. Independent education foundation Edge is the official supporter of both Squad UK and Team UK, as part of its commitment to raising the status of practical and vocational learning. This year, the members of Team UK are:

• Aircraft Maintenance - Stewart Wright, 25, from Northampton, who serves with the Royal Navy
• Autobody Repair - Daniel Cain, 22, from Grimsby, who works for Just Car Clinics
• Automobile Technology - Dean Jones, 21, from Swansea, who works for Mercedes-Benz of Swansea
• Beauty Therapy: Charlotte Burford, 18, from Penkridge, near Stafford, who works for Tranquility @ Esporta Stafford and who attends Cannock Chase Technical College
• Bricklaying - Sam Fairgrieve, 20, from Leicester who works for Jelson Homes Ltd
• Cabinetmaking - Luke Griffiths, 22, from Chichester, who works for Cimitree Furniture and also teaches at Chichester College.
• Car Painting - Zak McLaughlan, 20, from Denham, who works for Solus Norwich Union and who attends Thatcham College
• Carpentry - Cliff Williams, 22, from Talley, Wales, who is self employed
• CNC Milling - Christopher Coates, 21, from Wilmslow, who works for Bentley Motors
• Confectioner/Pastry Cook - Alistair Birt, 21, from Hillingdon, Uxbridge, who studies at Thames Valley University
• Cooking - Adam Smith, 22, from Orpington, who works at The Ritz Hotel
• Electrical Installations - Richard Sagar, 22, from Langholm, who works for Eden Electrics
• Floristry - Joe Massie, 21, from Liverpool, who works for Fishlocks Florist
• Ladies/Mens Hairdressing - Linzi Weare, 19, from Berry Hill, who works at Reds Hair Company
• Electronics - Melanie Adlam, 22, from St Albans, who is a student at the University of Bristol and who works for MBDA UK
• IT PC & Network Support - Hugo Landau, 19, from St Albans, who is a student at Barnfield College
• Jewellery - Adam Claridge, 21, from Robertsbridge, who works for Spectrum Fine Jewellery
• Joinery - Trevor Woods, 20, from Co. Fermanagh, who works for McAleer & Teague and attends Omagh College
• Landscape Gardening - Luke Denby, 19 from Skipton who works for Roderick French Groundworks and attends Craven College
• Landscape Gardening - William Gadd, 22, from Thurston, Bury St Edmunds, who works for The Country Life Landscapes and attends Otley College
• Mechanical Engineering Design – CAD - Martin Eusebi, 21, from Glasgow, who works for MB Aerospace Ltd and attends Motherwell College
• Painting & Decorating - Mark Nevin, 22, from East Calder, near Livingston, West Lothian, who works for Nevin of Edinburgh
• Plumbing & Heating - Christopher Lonsdale, 22, Bishop, Auckland, who is self employed
• Restaurant Service - Katie Watson, 21, from Hamilton, who works at the Gleneagles Hotel
• Stonemasonry - Oliver Clack, 21, from Chichester, who works for Cathedral Works Organisation and who attends Weymouth College
• Web Design - Richard Edwards, 19, from Milton Keynes who is a student at Milton Keynes College and works at Ted Baker

Simon Bartley, Chief Executive of UK Skills, who manage Team UK said 'We are very pleased to welcome each and every member of Team UK. The quality and dedication all our competitors demonstrated during the selection process was of the highest level, but the exceptional work that these 26 individuals carried out proved to judges that they had what it takes to be part of Team UK and represent their country. Being selected for the Team however does not mean it’s time to relax. From now until September the Team will need to train hard to make sure that they are up to the world class standard they need to be at, to be able to compete against the best young skilled people in the world. We wish them luck in their final months of training.'

Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said: “This team of talented young people are determined to make a difference in their careers and will represent the UK in showing the rest of the world just how talented our country is.

'In these tougher times it’s more important than ever that we continue to support and invest in the skills of our workforce, helping individuals get into and stay on at work as well as helping businesses stay competitive and prepare for the upturn.'

James Cracknell 'Double Olympic Gold medallist and adventurer' commented 'I am delighted to be here today to have met so many members of the team who will represent the UK at the WorldSkills Competition in Calgary. Each of the 26 young men and women who have been selected should be rightly proud of their achievements. There is no greater thrill than representing your country. When they get to Calgary it will be the end of a very long journey as each and every one of them has already undertaken months and months of rigorous training. It will also be the start of another journey, for competing at this level will catapult their careers to a new level. I wish them the very best of luck in the competition.'

WorldSkills Calgary 2009 takes place from 1st-6th September. There are 26 members of Team UK, who will compete in 25 skill categories.

The UK’s WorldSkills team is managed by UK Skills working in partnership with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and key partners from education, government and industry. Brathay provide and support the training and development of Squad and Team UK. City & Guilds, the UK’s leading provider of work-related qualifications, support Squad and Team UK.

A series of events will be held to celebrate the fantastic achievements of Team UK as follows:

WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Team UK Send Off Reception
27th August 2009, 18.00 – 21.00 (Imagination Gallery, London)

WorldSkills Calgary 2009 Team UK Welcome Back Reception
9th October 2009, 14.00 – 17.00 (London’s Living Room, City Hall, London)

For further information about these events, please contact Lorraine Ducker or Nikki Shuttleworth at UK Skills on 020 7612 9257.

To keep up to date with the progress of Team UK out in Calgary please visit

http://www.worldskillsteamuk.org/. Here you can check out the latest video diaries, daily results and final results of the competition.