Oscar Mcnaughton from the Vale of Glamorgan leads the UK in their first Additive Manufacturing competition at the 47th WorldSkills competition in Lyon in September.
Oscar’s education has stemmed far and wide, with a short spell outside of Wales and, whilst a career in additive manufacturing was not on the top of his career hit list his skills and abilities drove him back to Wales where he secured an apprenticeship at CBM Wales, an industry-focused advanced research, new product development, and batch manufacturing facility based in University of Wales, Trinity St Davids (UWTSD).
Unlike others in Team UK, Oscar’s competition journey has been much shorter, meaning he has had to work harder and smarter than most to make sure he is ready for the world's largest vocational skills competition.
Speaking of his competition journey, Oscar said:
“Lee Pratt from the University introduced me to WorldSkills and I knew it was a fantastic opportunity not to be missed."
Oscar’s journey began in a demonstration competition in November 2023 in Manchester, and with very little knowledge and guidance on what to expect, Oscar secured a Silver medal.
Since November, Oscar has been battling it out to become the Team UK representative to compete at the Skills Olympics in Lyon in September.
After being selected to head to WorldSkills Lyon, Oscar said;
“I am very excited to compete and see the standards and expertise from other international countries that will be competing in France.”
Oscar will be taking to the international stage alongside his WorldSkills UK Training Manager Bryn Jones, from Grwp Llandrillo Menai. Whilst representing the UK, the strong welsh contingent will be flying the flag and showcasing the excellence in education and training from across Wales.
With a passion for learning, Oscar has committed to become an Inspiring Skills Ambassador and has already agreed to support the project's work with developing excellence in learners and staff.
Oscar reflected on competitions and why he thinks they have been so helpful;
“The competitions have not just developed my trade skills and knowledge, but also developed my interpersonal skills, which has been really valuable to my development as an individual”
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.
Supporting Wales’ and the UK’s drive towards excellence, Additive Manufacturing is being introduced into the Skills Competition Wales portfolio for 2025.
Why not take the plunge in to competitions yourself and be the first to win gold in additive manufacturing in Wales, find out more here;
https://inspiringskills.gov.wales/competitions