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SRC engineering students compete for place in WorldSkills UK final

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Southern Regional College

13th Jun 2024

With summer fast approaching, SRC’s automation and mechatronics students were busy competing with little sign of the summer break materialising. Automation and mechatronics students recently showcased their skills at the WorldSkills UK qualifier held at Southern Regional College’s Newry campus on Thursday 6th June 2024.  The only Northern Irish qualifier saw teams from South West College (SWC) and South Eastern Regional College (SERC) compete for their chance to make it to the WorldSkills UK national finals.  The finals will be held in Manchester between 19-22 November 2024.

It is testament to the success of students from Northern Ireland in recent WorldSkills UK competitions that SRC was asked to host one of three regional qualifiers.  Students compete in pairs with only six spots available at the national finals in both categories. The College has the added speciality of being the only Northern Irish College with students competing for a place in the Mechatronics and Industry 4.0 finals.

On the day students were required to complete three main tasks.  Tests consisted of applying logic to identify issues and engineer solutions using commercial equipment under time constraints.  The first task focused on pneumatic control, the second on hard wired electrical control, and the final test on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and their programming.

Students now wait on result verification from the two other national qualifiers before it is known whether teams will progress to the national finals in November.  The College has high hopes on students making it through to the finals, with some of the students competing having previously taken home medals in the last three WorldSkills UK competitions.  Students placing at the regional qualifiers were:

Category Team Member 1 Hometown Team Member 2 Hometown
Automation Gabriele Kurlianskaite Tandragee Eoin Green Newry
Automation Ethan Park Rathfriland Eve Hillen Hilltown
Mechatronics John Doherty Portadown Jason McVerry Belleeks, Newry
Mechatronics Ross Graham Banbridge Carter McKnight Moira
Mechatronics Neil King Warrenpoint Sean Treanor Co. Monaghan
Industry 4.0 Patrick Sheerin Portadown Caolan McCartan Camlough, Newry

 

Those students competing for spots in the finals include students across a wide range of courses.  From the Engineering BEng (Hons) Level 6 Degree to Technical Design and Manufacture) Level 5 Foundation Degree, Mechatronics Level 5 foundation Degree, and Engineering Advanced Technical Award Level 3 Extended Diploma

Sean MacDiarmada, Engineering Lecturer at Southern Regional College commented:

“Since April, students have dedicated themselves to rigorous preparation for the regional qualifier hosted for the second time by Southern Regional College. All SRC teams performed exceptionally well, placing in this regional qualifier.  I am very proud of the students’ achievements, and I am hopeful that many will be announced as finalists in November’s WorldSkills UK finals.”