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QinetiQ apprentices win gold and silver at World Skills UK competition

20/12/2019

The UK’s best young apprentices took part in the finals of World Skills UK in Birmingham on Saturday 23 November, which included two of our very own QinetiQ apprentices.

World Skills UK

WorldSkills UK LIVE attracted more than 80,000 young people gearing up for a vocational pathway to work and the event was the backdrop for the all-important National Finals of WorldSkills UK Competitions.

More than 500 apprentices and students competed in over 70 different disciplines – battling to be the best in the UK. This year QinetiQ entered two of our Aeronautical Avionic Apprentices, Harry Randles and Helena Jennings. Harry and Helena progressed through the different rounds of the competition and were both awarded one of the six places in the Final.

They were given taxing problems to solve during the three day final and they both excelled. Harry was the gold medalist and Helena won the silver medal. QinetiQ also provided one of the Aeronautical Engineering judges; Dave Jacomb, a Weapons Engineer by background and now an electrical/electronic tutor, assessor and quality assurer at the QinetiQ Apprentice School.

Harry Randles – Aeronautical Avionics – Gold Medalist

‘During the 2019 World Skills UK contest I have had the honour of representing QinetiQ in the aeronautical avionic competition. This event sees the best apprentices from a variety of companies within the aerospace industry compete against each other for the coveted award. I found it extremely challenging pushing my knowledge and skills to the limit and was proud to represent QinetiQ. I was overwhelmed to be the winner of the Gold medal and to be classed as the best in the UK! I couldn’t have achieved this without the support and guidance from my colleagues and mentors.

Helena Jennings – Aeronautical Avionics – Silver medalist

World Skills has been a real driving force for me throughout my apprenticeship, as that’s where I found QinetiQ as a company, learning about what they did and finding the information on their apprenticeships. So, to be back there four years later competing was just surreal, I never thought I’d have the confidence to put myself in that situation or, with my buckets of self-doubt, be good enough to be chosen to go. However, it drove me to try my best and give anything that was thrown at me a go, and I was proud just to be chosen. The support and training from the people I have met throughout my time at QinetiQ, is what has gotten me to this point, growing as a person in so many different ways.

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