A trainee plumber from Ceredigion has been named the best young plumber in Wales following the SkillPLUMB Wales national final held last week.
Owain Powell is working at GVJ Plumbing & Heating while at the same time studying plumbing at a local college. His determination and dedication to his chosen profession paid off last week, when he successfully battled against 10 other plumbers from across Wales in a demonstration of their skills.
Owain and his competitors had to install a small central heating system for their tested task, safely completing it within a time limit, and adhering to recognised industry standards.
Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Jeff Cuthbert, said that Owain and his competitors were a credit to Welsh enterprise and demonstrated the high-quality skills of the nation’s workforce.
He said: “These competitions are an excellent opportunity for up-and-coming skilled workers in Wales to stretch themselves and really develop their abilities within their chosen fields.”
SkillPLUMB is organised by SummitSkills and sponsored by the UK Copper Board, with the backing of the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Social Fund.
Owain and a number of the highest-scoring runners up will now go on to compete against the other regional winners and runners up from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland at the national final in November. The winners at the national final could then possibly see themselves go forward to represent the UK at the biennial WorldSkills competition, which will be held in Brazil in 2015.