Four Refrigeration and Air Conditioning students recently went head–to-head in competition for a spot at the WorldSkills UK National competition at the ACR Show next February.

Two Level 2 Apprentices, Emma Charles-Ford and Steven Taylor, and two Level 3 Apprentices, Kane Finley and Jason Badger, were set tasks such as pipework and brazing tests, as well as wiring and testing electrical components. The students were judged by Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Lecturer and Assessor, Shaun Creech.

Commenting on why he had chosen these students to take part in the competition, Shaun explained: “I could see these students really wanted this opportunity, and their work ethic is brilliant.”

The students were also joined by previous competitor, Steven Burge, who took part in the 2013 WorldSkills final in Leipzig, Germany. Steven had also studied Refrigeration and Air Conditioning at Eastleigh College, and was on-hand to congratulate the winner.

After hours of hard work, Kane Finley, 19, was awarded first prize and has secured a place at the WorldSkills UK national competition at the ACR show in February 2016. He said “As a whole the competition was challenging – I’m nervous about going on to compete in the nationals next year, but it’s such a great opportunity.”

Local business FSW donated prizes in the form of high-quality equipment to each of the participants, with Kane winning a set of gauges and the other three competitors winning multi-test meters, which will come in useful during the on-the-job training during their Apprenticeships.

To find out more about our Refrigeration and Air Conditioning courses, please visit our Refrigeration careers page.