The two Scottish members of Team UK at the WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi have been awarded medallions of excellence, proving that they have reached the highest international standard in their chosen skill.

For painter and decorator Jordan Charters, 22, and mechanical engineering computer-aided-designer Betsy Crosbie, 21, the achievement was the culmination of four days of competition during which they were pitted against the best in the world.

Together with 32 colleagues, the pair’s years of preparation paid off for Team UK, helping the country to a haul of 13 medallions of excellence and seven medals. The team secured a creditable 10th place in the overall medals table of 60 countries and regions.

Scotland’s minister for further education, Shirley-Anne Somerville, congratulated the students, and the Scottish colleges from which they hail, on their success. She said: “The participants from New College Lanarkshire and Edinburgh College built on our previous success and gave a great demonstration of their professional, technical skills and talent. It is an extremely tough competition - up against some of the world’s best - and they should be extremely proud of all they have achieved.”

While WorldSkills UK chair Carole Stott told the competitors and their supporters in Abu Dhabi that they had made “everyone proud and given us so much joy”, stressing the incredible achievement of winning a medallion among a strong field of competitors, it was a bittersweet moment both for Charters and Crosbie, who had hoped for a medal at the closing ceremony.

End of a dream

Charters, who completed his apprenticeship at Edinburgh College, said the competition had gone well despite some personal challenges - until the morning of day four, when his fortunes changed. “The first three days were a dream,” he said. “The hardest day I ever had was day three. I didn’t want to get out of bed that day. I was running on empty and, mentally, I had a bit of a breakdown. But within 10 minutes, Mark [Nevin], my expert, pulled me back and I got it back together. And then day four was one of the worst days of my life.”

Charters told Tes Scotland that he had found out in the morning that a technique he had been using for two years in training for the final piece of work was no longer permitted. The revelation forced him to attempt an entirely new approach. Until that moment, he believes, he had been on track for a medal. “It was a bombshell,” he admitted. When the final whistle blew, Charters was overwhelmed with emotion. “I knew it wasn’t enough. All I had ever wanted was to win, but I couldn’t do anything about it,” he reflected. “I know I couldn’t have done any better with that technique; I was pleased to have finished it to that standard, but it wasn’t enough. I am so pleased I managed to get a medallion.”

Fellow team member Crosbie, from New College Lanarkshire, also told Tes Scotland that she had hoped for a medal - and was sad that the WorldSkills journey had come to an end. “When they announced the medallists, I was a little bit gutted, but I am happy with what I achieved. I gave everything,” she said.

“I am a little bit sad it is over. But I will be a skills champion at the Skills Show [in Birmingham] in November, trying to inspire other people.”

‘Life-changing’ experience

WorldSkills was Crosbie’s second attempt at an international competition, having also been part of the team at EuroSkills 2016 in Gothenburg. The 21-year-old, from East Kilbride, completed an HND in computer-aided draughting and design in Lanarkshire and, after some time working in the industry, returned to college to study for an HNC in mechanical engineering.

She felt the competition in Abu Dhabi had gone well for her. “I managed to stay focused and get everything done,” she said. “There are countries that do well every time, so [the tough challenge] was to be expected.”

Apart from improving her skills, the two years of competition and training has also changed her as a person, said Crosbie: “It has helped my confidence so much. I have come on a lot from where I started.”

@JBelgutay