Gold for Coleg Cambria student in national skills competition

A 22 year-old from Connah’s Quay has won gold in the Construction Metalwork final of a national skills competition.

Skills Competitions Wales is a Welsh Government-backed series of events designed to celebrate vocational skills and create a highly skilled Welsh workforce for the future.

Coleg Cambria student Maciej Porzuczek is just one of 78 Welsh youngsters who have been perfecting their skills in a bid to win a medal.

Maciej, who is currently undertaking an apprenticeship at GJ Maintenance Engineering, is also studying for a level two certificate and diploma in engineering as well as a level two NVQ diploma in performing engineering operations was up against two other students from across Wales.

Finalists completed a series of construction and metalwork challenges within an eight hour time period, which included testing their fabrication skills by making a trestle table frame and completing a theory test.

Maciej said;

“I’m really pleased I won the competition and I hope I can go further to compete in the next round. I practiced with my tutors at college who were the ones who had encouraged me to enter. We had to make a frame for a table and although it was something I’d done lots of times before at work, doing it in eight hours was a challenge!

“I’d really like to work on an oil rig as an engineer and testing my skills in this competition as well as my apprenticeship are helping me get closer to my dream. I’ve always been interested in construction and I find it really satisfying to see a simple drawing come to life. I’ve worked on a range of different projects from building containers and bridges to shelving units in office blocks.”

Maciej is in line to represent Coleg Cambria in the Construction and Metalwork WorldSkills UK heat, with the aim of potentially representing Team Wales at this year’s Skills Show in Birmingham in November.