County students aim for "vocational skills Olypmics"

3:08pm Thursday 20th November 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

TWO students from an agricultural college are preparing to put their landscaping skills to the test, in a bid to win the chance to compete at the Olympics of vocational skills in Canada next year.

Oliver Bage and Grant Finch, students at Askham Bryan College, near York, are competing for a place in the UK squad of landscape students, which will be taken to Calgary, for the World Skills Final, next September.

The 17-year-olds have reached Skills London 2008, which runs until Sunday.

The event, which is the UK’s biggest careers event for 14 to 19-year-olds, hosts one of a series of national competitions designed to pick the country’s top landscape students.

Oliver, from York, is taking an Intermediate Diploma in Landscape Construction and Grant, from Scarborough, is completing an NVQ Level 2 in Amenity and Decorative Horticulture.

They will be pitted against other students from across the country for a place in the UK squad.

Harry Turner, Askham Bryan’s landscaping manager and UK world skills training manager, said six students would be chosen from a total of 12 to form the UK team – and competition for a place in the squad was fierce.

He said: "Once six have been selected, they then go through another series of competitions, training and assessments before two are chosen to compete in Canada next year.

"It is very much like the Olympics – the landscaping students are like athletes. Their diet is analysed, also their weight, and how they focus – an awful lot of work goes in to ensuring we take the right two to the competition."

Last year, two Askham Bryan students were chosen as the UK team when the World Skills Final, which takes place every two years, was held in Japan.

The pair narrowly missed the top honour. The final attracts 850 young people drawn from over 45 countries who test themselves against international standards in key skills and technologies.

It is held every two years, and as with the Olympics, the competitors represent their countries and aim for gold, silver or bronze medals.