A 22-year-old from Llanelli has won gold in the Graphic Design final of a national skills competition.
Skills Competition Wales is a Welsh Government-backed series of events designed to celebrate vocational skills and create a highly skilled Welsh workforce for the future.
With Olympic athletes training hard for the imminent games in Rio, Lewis Phillips is just one of 78 Welsh youngsters who have been perfecting their skills in a bid to win a medal. Across a range of vocations from graphic design to patisserie, these budding skilled champions, like Olympians, may go on to challenge competitors from other nations.
Lewis, from Coleg Sir Gâr, competed against nine other students from across Wales. Finalists completed a series of graphic design challenges within a five hour time period, including creating a double page spread in a magazine targeting parents to introduce their children to the creative industries sector in Wales.
Lewis, who is studying for a level 5 NVQ in graphic communication, said he is thrilled to have won.
“On the day we were given the brief and the task was a total surprise, I’m glad I’d been practicing with design programmes with my tutor which really helped.
“I’ve still got another year of study to finish my course so I’m hoping to find a specialism within graphic design so I can get a job with a magazine or paper in their creative department. The competition has really pushed me and it’s certainly going to be going onto my CV!”
Skills Competition Wales forms part of the Welsh Government’s Growth and Sustainable Jobs Programme, designed to promote the importance of vocational skills with the aim of boosting the overall skill capabilities and prosperity of Wales.
The campaign supported by the European Social Fund and the Welsh Government, and run by a network of colleges and work based learning providers, a total of 33 local Skills Competitions will be taking place between February and April, in a range of sectors from forensic science and car mechanics to web design and nail art.
Lewis may go forward to represent Coleg Sir Gâr in the Graphic Design WorldSkills UK heat, with the aim of potentially representing Team Wales at this year's Skills Show in Birmingham in November. He may then be eligible to compete for a place in the squad which will represent the UK at WorldSkills in Abu Dhabi in 2017.
Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Julie James AM said:
“Year on year the level of talent at Skills Competition Wales keeps on improving. These events encourage healthy competition and are a great way of recognising the fantastic talent that we have in our country.
“ The colleges and work-based learning providers across Wales are already involved in the Skills Competition Wales initiative and have played a huge part in organising the heats and finals, but we’re keen to see more Welsh businesses support their talented young employees and encourage them to enter.”
The Deputy Minister added: “It takes a lot of hard work to get to the final round but to win gold is a fantastic achievement. It is clear that all the competitors are extremely passionate and determined to be named the best in Wales.
“We wish Lewis and all the other finalists and winners the very best of luck, not only in the next round of the competitions, but also in their future careers.”
Issued by Golley Slater PR