Blackburn College apprentice is through to skills competition final

A Blackburn College apprentice electrician from Clitheroe has powered his way to the UK final of a global skills competition.

William Boyer is heading down to south Wales on November 24 after winning through to the final of SkillElectric, opening up the possibility of competing in the world championships for trades at the finals in Japan in 2028.

The 22-year-old, from Clitheroe, Lancs., was one of just eight finalists to compete in the SkillElectric UK final, and the lucky winner will automatically gain entry to the prestigious WorldSkills competition.

Wiliam said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be in the UK final.  I was really nervous but when it came to the qualifying round in Anglesey I made sure I was well prepared.

“Now it is all about working hard so I can give it my best in Wales.”

William, who is now in his final year of a NVQ Level 3 City and Guilds apprenticeship in electrical installation at Blackburn College, works with Skipton headquartered electrical contracting company, Paul Wilson Electrical & Renewable Solutions Ltd.

After a rigorous round of practical testing and theoretical challenges, William was one of eight finalists who have won through to compete for the chance of a lifetime – a place in the WorldSkills final.

Paul Wilson, William’s employer, will be joining him at the UK final, and is proud of what the apprentice has achieved so far.

He said: “I took Will on as an apprentice after he worked on a project my company was running.

“At that time, he was working as a welder but clearly wanted to know more about the electrical side.

“He has really proved himself, learning the skills the job requires in no time, and his work is very accurate and precise – as it has to be.

“Part of becoming an electrician is learning how to work with our customers, especially high net worth clients with large scale, expensive projects.

“Will always listens to our customers which is another good skill to have.

“The competition is such a great experience and a good confidence builder for any apprentice.”

Kevin Ashton, William’s tutor at Blackburn College, encouraged him to enter the competition.

He said: “Will is a real success story.  He has been amazing.

“This means following specifications, interpreting technical drawings, but also being practical, having the ability to form and fabricate containment systems, which requires good hand skills.

“There’s quite a lot of engineering that goes into this work that people do not always realise, and Will has to be able to demonstrate all his skills, technical and practical abilities to a high degree of proficiency.

“To get to the UK final is such a huge thing, his commitment and effort is remarkable.

“It takes practice and more practice to make it to the national final alone, so that is a great achievement in itself. But all of us at Blackburn College secretly hope William will come out on top and eventually represent the UK at the WorldSkills Final.”

Will has also been approached by representatives from City and Guilds, who are so impressed with his skills that the organisation has asked him to become an ambassador for its programme to encourage others to take up apprenticeships.

He added: “I am pleased to be asked.  Quite honestly, I never thought I would end up being an electrician, but becoming an apprentice was the best thing I have ever done, and it is opening up so many opportunities for me.

“One day, I would love to have my own company, and I certainly want to help other apprentices. But for now, I am focussing on the SkillsElectric finals next week.”

SkillELECTRIC is part of the WorldSkills UK competition framework and is organised by industry charity National Electrotechnical Training