Twenty-six young Kiwis are preparing to compete against the best of the best competitors from Canada, India, Malaysia, China, Australia and Korea in the inaugural WorldSkills Oceania regional competitions to be held on April 13 to 17 at Wintec in Hamilton.
So far, 105 international competitors are registered to compete in a total of 30 different skill categories at the Oceania competitions.
The New Zealand WorldSkills team will compete in 18 skill categories, ranging carpentry, joinery, plumbing and heating, to aircraft maintenance and the various auto and engineering trades.
Competition will be intense for the under-23 year olds who are at the top of their respective trades for their age in the country.
They will pit themselves against demanding international standards to battle it out to win one of 18 spots in the final WorldSkills NZ Tool Blacks team that will go to Brazil in August to compete against 71 other countries.
Each competitor has a personalised, hands-on mentoring programme to ensure they have the best shot at winning a medal. This includes “mental toughness” training developed exclusively for WorldSkills NZ competitors.
One of the gifts of WorldSkills competitions is the confidence the competitors gain in their own abilities. It’s helped by receiving the endorsement of a positive peer and skill group that’s with them every step of the way.
How you can help support the Tool Blacks?
WorldSkills New Zealand is an independent, non-profit charitable trust founded in 1986, and is dedicated to encouraging young people to excel in vocational skills. This is achieved through exposure to competitions at regional, national and international levels.
