Aberdeenshire-based plumber Connor Cruden is set to represent the UK at the WorldSkills Plumbing Finals in Germany this week.
Connor finished top in 2019 at the SkillPLUMB UK finals to find the country’s most accomplished apprentice plumber, with the WorldSkills Plumbing finals due to be held in the Black Forest town of Lahr, Germany, between 2nd and 4th November 2022.
The competition, which was originally scheduled to take place last year in Shanghai, China, has been relocated to Germany because of continuing Covid-19 restrictions. It will involve participants from 20 countries.
Connor said: “I have been training hard for the WorldSkills final, making regular visits to my coach, Ronnie Ferris, who is based in Newry, County Down, and tackling demanding pieces of work and producing them to challenging tolerances.
“I am excited by going to Germany to test my abilities against others and intend to do my best. All the skills I have developed have come from the guidance of my instructors, Jim MacKinnon at Moray College, my employer Garry Cowie, and of course my parents and my coach.
“I am hugely grateful to all of them, as well as to SNIPEF which has paved my way to the WorldSkills finals.”
Under close inspection and scoring by industry experts, competing apprentices are given previously unseen detailed drawings from which they must devise practical plumbing solutions. The piece of work they then produce, typically air-tight or water-tight, must be accurate to the most demanding tolerances.
There will be gold, silver and bronze medals up for grabs as well as medals of excellence for those who record high scores in the plumbing challenge.