TWO Limerick TUS students have qualified to represent Ireland at the final of the Euro Skills in Gdansk next year and the Worldskills competition in Lyon in 2024.
Culinary arts student Jack Rice and mechanical automation apprentice Reece Seery achieved qualification when they were awarded Worldskills Ireland titles at the RDS in Dublin where they battled off stiff competition to take home the top prize in their respective categories.
Congratulating the All Ireland winners and their mentors, TUS President Professor Vincent Cunnane said they represented the university’s commitment to active learning and the development of highly skilled, work ready graduates.
“With their proven skill and ambition, I know Jack and Reece will continue to do us proud in this global competition, and I would like to wish them the best of luck in the next phase,”he added.
Both have had previous success at Worldskills having won silver in different competitions, before bringing home the gold awards this academic year.
Jack, who is from Farranshone in Limerick City, said that he was spurred on from his silver win at the national finals of the World Skills Ireland (WSI) cookery competition to do for gold at the Worldskills 2022.
Paying tribute to his mentors Jim O’Meara and Eithne Gavigan, he said, “It’s a tough competition but I would urge people to do it, as it is a great challenge.”
Offaly native Reece, said he was thrilled to be named the National Industrial Mechanic at the Worldskills Ireland.
“I would like to acknowledge the support of Keith O’Brien and Garret Walsh who have supported me during phase four of my apprenticeship. They made sure I was solid for the 2021 competition but unfortunately, I came second in the final. However, they both drove me on to give it another go in the 2022 competition, and this had been of huge benefit to me,” he said.
Worldskills Ireland is a partnership between enterprise, industry, education, training and government to raise the profile and recognition of skills and apprenticeships in Ireland.
