The first thing you notice as you enter the Swedish Exhibition and Conference Centre is the noise. Among the drilling, filing, banging and sawing, it is difficult to comprehend how the 500 competitors fighting for medal glory at the EuroSkills competition in Gothenburg remain focused on the tasks ahead of them.
Among the competitors are the 22 members of Team UK, competing in a large variety of disciplines from bricklaying and floristry to plumbing and mechanical engineering CAD (computer-aided design). They are methodically working their way through the tasks set for them on the second of three competition days.
To block out the noise not only from their opponents but also from the other disciplines in the same hall and the thousands of school pupils and other visitors watching, filming and photographing them, many competitors wear headphones during their tasks.
The stars of EuroSkills
Throughout the day, they work under the watchful eye of the experts who have helped them prepare for months, as well as judges from the other 34 competing nations, pacing across the competition area. Large crowds gather around some competitors. As the only female competitor in mechanical engineering CAD, Betsy Crosbie of New College Lanarkshire (article free to subscribers) has attracted a particularly sizeable audience, many of them taking photos. To help the competitors cope with the stress, team leaders are on hand for support.
With another day of competition ahead tomorrow, it is too early to make predictions. Many members of Team UK will be hoping for a medal on Sunday, when the winners are announced at the closing ceremony. And, so far, it seems they have managed to stay on track. Speaking to TES after the first day of competition last night, 18-year-old Daniel McCabe said: “I am buzzing. It went really well. If I had been able to write my own brief, this would have been it.”
And Nathan Jones, competing in web design, was also happy with his performance. “Nothing bad happened,” he said. “It all went to plan. I hope it continues like this.” However, to make sure he was well prepared for today’s competition as possible, he was not taking any risks. “As soon as I have had dinner, I am going back to my room to start revising for tomorrow. I won’t know what my task will be until the morning, so I want to be prepared.” Only on Sunday will it become clear whether the hard work has paid off.
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