Irish trainees set to show off their WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi

Trainees in everything from beauty therapy to aircraft maintenance will carry the Irish flag against counterparts around the globe when they travel to the WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi next week.

The 14 apprentices and trainees from around the country will be hoping to bring Ireland’s haul of medals in 37 previous competitions over the 200 mark.

Among them is 20-year-old Kathlyn Leahy from Kilkenny, who won the Ireland Skills Restaurant Service competition to earn her place on the team.

“I’ve been in intensive training for over two months, and I hope to do the people who worked so hard to get me to this point proud,” she said.

Kathlyn is a second-year student at Shannon College of Hotel Management but her interest in hospitality began during transition year work experience.

“I really enjoyed meeting different types of people every day and didn’t see the work as a chore,” she said.

The competitors who leave next week for the competition come from Cavan, Kerry, Kilkenny, Louth, Meath, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, and Wicklow. They are training at education and training board colleges, institutes of technology, and Aer Lingus for careers as diverse as cabinet-making, plastering, aircraft maintenance, beauty therapy, and welding.

The WorldSkills competition is held every two years, and Ireland was placed 11th out of 75 countries at the last event in Brazil. This year’s competitors were selected from winners of the National Skills Competition Finals last December and all are aged under 25.

Paul O’Toole, chief executive of further education and training authority Solas which supports the team, said the trainees have enormous talent, determination, and dedication needed to compete at the highest level.