Twenty-six young Kiwi are preparing to compete against the best of the best competitors from Canada, India, Malaysia, China, Australia and Korea in the inaugural WorldSkills Oceania regional competitions to be held April 13-17 at Wintec in Hamilton.

So far, 105 international competitors are registered to compete in a total of 30 different skill categories at the Oceania competitions.

The NZ WorldSkills team will compete in 18 skill categories ranging from aircraft maintenance to the various auto and engineering trades, carpentry, joinery, plumbing and heating and go through to floristry, hairdressing, restaurant trades and web and graphic design.

Competition will be intense for the under-23 year olds who are at the top of their respective trades for their age in the country. They will pit themselves against demanding international standards to battle it out to win one of 18 spots in the final WorldSkills NZ Tool Blacks team that will go to Brazil in August to face off against competitors from 71 other countries.

Each competitor has a personalised, hands-on mentoring programme to ensure they have the best shot at winning a medal. This includes “mental toughness” training developed exclusively for WorldSkills NZ competitors.

Rural and provincial New Zealand is well represented in the 26-strong national team.

One of the gifts of WorldSkills competitions is the confidence the kids gain in their own abilities. It’s helped by receiving the endorsement of a positive peer and skill group that’s with them every step of the way.

How you can help support the Tool Blacks:
• Come along and cheer the team on at Wintec in Hamilton,Thursday 16 April and on Friday 17 April from 9am –12noon. .
• If you are interested in fundraising or sponsoring or donating to help get the Tool Blacks and their Skill Managers to Brazil in August, email info@worldskills.org.nz.
• ‘Like’ us on facebook
WorldSkills New Zealand is an independent, non-profit charitable trust founded in 1986, dedicated to encouraging young people to excel in vocational skills. This is achieved through exposure to competitions at regional, national and international levels.