Galway student Andrew Burke who won a medal for Ireland at the Worldskills Competition in Canada last week has a bright future ahead of him in his chosen trade, according to the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe. Burke won a gold medal for his skills in the aircraft maintenance category.
He attended the FÁS training centres in Shannon and Galway and the Dublin Institute of Technology.
Minister O’Keeffe said: “Andrew's achievement was remarkable and he made Galway, and indeed the country, proud at the Worldskills Competition.”
Burke was part of an 11-strong team of apprentices which won three gold medals, two bronze medals, and five medallions of excellence at the competition, with Ireland coming second to Korea.
“The Worldskills Competition is a very important event that enables Ireland to benchmark the quality of national craft training against 50 other countries worldwide” says Minister O’Keeffe, adding: “The participation and success of the Irish apprentices in the competition showcases our highly skilled workforce and our ability to support technically advanced industries and service providers.”
The Minister says he feels that this is critical in attracting foreign direct investment and in maintaining the competitiveness of indigenous enterprises.
The Worldskills Competition gives a small number of skilled apprentices the opportunity to display their talents and compete for medals. The competition also promotes the exchange of ideas and experiences in vocational education and training. All 900 competitors, including those from Ireland, learn higher-order skills and get exposure to new techniques and materials.
