Success at the WorldSkills UK Finals for Cardiff and Vale College

Five Cardiff and Vale College learners and apprentices have come away from this year’s WorldSkills UK Finals with medals, including three golds – more than any other Welsh college.

Marnie Gaskell won gold in Restaurant Service, while Samuel Turato and Mihaly Zeke won golds in Refrigeration and Automotive Heavy Vehicle respectively. Owen Thomas won bronze in Automotive Body Repair and Travis Huntley won silver in Wall and Floor Tiling at SkillBuild.

The results mean that CAVC won more gold medals than any other Welsh Further Education Institution and was in the Top 5 of the overall WorldSkills UK Medal League Table.

A team from CAVC Group member ACT comprising of Jessica Poole and Gareth Williams also won bronze medals in Accounting Technician.

Twelve learners and apprentices from Cardiff and Vale College travelled to Manchester to compete in the UK Finals of WorldSkills – widely known as the Skills Olympics. Alongside Marnie, Samuel, Mihaly, Owen and Travis, David Morgan competed in Aircraft Engineering and Belal Al Haka in Automotive Body Repair.

Kyle Davin and Ben Williams competed in Automotive Refinishing, Miah Jenkins and Remi Evans in Commercial Make-Up and Joe Davies in IT Support Technician.

Gold medal winner in Refrigeration Sam Turato said: “When my name was called, I was honestly overwhelmed. This competition was incredibly challenging, not just for me but for all six finalists.

“I truly believe we all deserved gold for the effort, skill, and dedication we brought to the table. I feel honoured and humbled, this medal represents not just my hard work, but also the support of those who stood by me and inspired me throughout this journey. Thank you.”

“The excitement of receiving the news that I had got through to the National Finals was surreal - little did I know four months later my name would be called to receive my gold medal,” Gold medal winner in restaurant Service Marnie Gaskell said. “I can’t even put into words the feeling of anxiously waiting until the last award of the evening and the relief I felt once my name had been called.

“The months and months of training, hard work and dedication paid off, I have never experienced anything that overwhelming! An amazing opportunity; I would tell anyone to take if they got the chance, it has changed me as an individual for the better and I can’t thank everyone who helped train and support me enough.”

Cardiff and Vale College Principal Sharon James-Evans said: “Congratulations to Marnie, Samuel, Mihaly, Travis and Owen – you have all proved that you are among the best in the UK in your fields. It is an incredible achievement for all 12 of our competitors who taken part to get to the Finals and it is testament to your hard work and determination.

“I’d also like to thank all of the CAVC Group staff who have worked so tirelessly, frequently in their own time, to train the competitors and enable them to compete to this standard.”

CAVC Group Chief Executive and WorldSkills UK Trustee Mike James said: “Massive congratulations to our medal winners, some of whom could find themselves in Team UK for the next international WorldSkills Finals.

“I am a true believer in skills competitions and the benefits they bring to those competing, those who are inspired by them, employers and the economy. A huge thank you to all of the staff involved who supported our competing learners both during and in the run-up to the WorldSkills UK Finals.”