Max Clarke's educational journey began outside the borders of Wales, however when he looked to higher education and specialising, University of South Wales was his preferred option. Max studied applied cyber security in University and was introduced to competitions at an early point in his development. Max is very passionate about competing and when he is in competitions, he is in them to win it, therefore he will be looking for Gold in September.
Max has always been interested in the IT sector and was introduced to the concept of Cyber Security by a former a-level lecturer. Here his love of competitions also grew, as he took part in a national competition in England, funded by the English government to encourage learners into the world of Cyber Security.
Max has had a long journey within Squad UK, after being part of a long squad post 2021 WorldSkills UK national finals, where he and his team mate secured a bronze medal. Since then Max has been battling out to show his credentials, to earn his place on the plane to compete at WorldSkills Lyon.
Talking about his journey, Max said;
“I have been part of the experience for a long time, but it has been so much fun. I do it all for the love of my skill, and obviously it will look great on my CV.
Max has been able to learn and develop so many new aspects of cyber security and it has given him a breadth of knowledge to take back to his role within Prolinx. Max stated that;
“Competitions cover areas of cyber security that I don’t do in my current role, there is some crossover, however it has allowed me to hone in on other skills that I do not do on a daily basis”
Since being selected to go to France the hard work continues as does the excitement of heading over to compete at the World stage. However, before Max attends the competition in Lyon, Max will be heading to Taiwan to train with fellow team mate Arron Luker. This will be an early opportunity to pitch their ability against some of the other teams at the WorldSkills competitions.
After the Taiwan trip, there will not be much time before they head on that plan to France, when asked, Max said;
“My aim is to get on the podium, 1st, 2nd or 3rd ideally, but a medal of excellence would be fantastic too”.
WorldSkills Lyon will host over 65+ countries and see over 1,400 learners take to the world stage to compete in their chosen skill. To keep an eye on all the action follow us @iseinwales.
Why not take the plunge into competitions yourself and follow in the footsteps of Max and take advantage of some of the potential opportunities that may come your way by starting in Skills Competition Wales. Find out more information by following the link below;