Students carry Team Wales torch to inspire future skills champions

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai welcomed the Team Wales torch to its Bangor, Llangefni and Rhyl campuses this week ahead of next month’s WorldSkills UK national finals.

Learners Yuliia Batrak and Evan Klimaszewski were among the torch bearers as the ‘Roadtrip to Excellence’ relay made its way across Wales.

The relay is building excitement in preparation for the WorldSkills finals, which will be hosted in Wales for the first time from November 26-28. The torch also shines a spotlight on WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, the upcoming edition of the world’s biggest skills competition - known globally as the ‘Skills Olympics’.

Coleg Llandrillo student Yuliia and Coleg Menai learner Evan are both in the running to compete in Shanghai in their respective disciplines, and are both previous winners of the WorldSkills national finals.

They were among those selected to carry the torch to inspire the Grŵp’s 14 learners competing in this year’s WorldSkills and SkillBuild national finals (full list below), as well as potential future competitors.

Yuliia carried the torch as it took centre stage at Coleg Llandrillo in Rhyl on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old from Colwyn Bay gave an inspirational presentation before handing the torch to engineering students Zack Arnold and McKenzie Goodwin-Cotterill, who are competing in the 2025 finals.

Yuliia, originally from Kyiv, won gold in Restaurant Services at the 2023 WorldSkills UK finals, and is studying Level 3 Food and Beverage Service Supervision at the college’s Rhos-on-Sea campus.

She said: “I feel so privileged to carry this torch and to inspire other students to take part in this competition. The experience I got from it is priceless, and I would definitely recommend for everyone to go through it if you get a chance. I promise you won't regret it.”

The torch procession was watched by around 60 local schoolchildren, who were visiting the Rhyl campus for an Engineering Skills Challenge run by Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, Bangor University and Careers Wales.

On Thursday, the torch toured the Llangefni campus, where it was carried by competitors from engineering, construction, health and social care, sport, and Skills for Life and Work.

Aeronautical engineering student Connie Whitfield was one of the torch bearers at Llangefni.

She said: “It's truly been an honour to carry the torch and inspire other students. The skills competitions aren't just about competing but also making friends and sharing new experiences. My experiences in the competitions so far have been amazing, and I will be given that opportunity again to experience the National Finals."

Asked for her advice for anyone considering taking part in skills competitions, Connie said: “Don't hesitate when the offer to compete rises, because it truly is a special and unforgettable experience.”

After visiting Llangefni, the torch arrived at Bangor to inspire the accounting finalists at Busnes@LlandrilloMenai’s Llwyn Brain campus, before reaching the Digital Media finalists at Coleg Menai’s creative media department.

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai CEO Aled Jones-Griffith said: “It has been a very proud moment to host the Team Wales torch relay at our Bangor, Llangefni and Rhyl campuses. This has been a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our learners and to inspire the next generation of talented and hard-working young people.

“It has also been a chance to showcase the skills in which our learners will be competing at next month’s UK finals - skills they have developed with the help of our dedicated staff and first-class facilities at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.

“We wish all our competitors the best of luck when Wales hosts the WorldSkills UK finals for the first time next month.”

The finals will see hundreds of young people competing in more than 45 skills competitions across venues in Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend and Swansea from November 26-28.

Across Wales, colleges have joined together to celebrate the collective effort behind Team Wales’ success in vocational skills competitions. These competitions begin locally with Skills Competition Wales, coordinated by the Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales project, before progressing to national and international level through WorldSkills UK.

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai learners competing in the 2025 WorldSkills UK national finals:

• Tomos Jones (Accounting Technician, Busnes@LlandrilloMenai)

• Lowri Hughes (Accounting Technician, Busnes@LlandrilloMenai)

• Connie Whitfield (Additive Manufacturing, Coleg Menai)

• Oliver Weldon (Additive Manufacturing, Coleg Menai)

• Guy Geurtjens (Digital Media Production, Coleg Menai)

• Cai Owen (Digital Media Production, Coleg Menai)

• Aron Hughes (Digital Media Production, Coleg Menai)

• Matthew Owen (Digital Media Production, Coleg Menai)

• Iwan Nicklin (Industrial Electronics, Coleg Menai)

• Kayleigh Blears (Hairdressing, Coleg Llandrillo)

• Zack Arnold (Renewable Energy, Coleg Llandrillo)

• McKenzie Goodwin-Cotterill (Renewable Energy, Coleg Llandrillo)

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai learners competing in the 2025 SkillBuild national finals:

• Luke Quarless (Plastering, Coleg Menai)

• Ryan Jones (Plastering, Coleg Menai)

To start your skills competition in Wales and for more information on how you can get involved as a competitor, employer or skills champion, go to: https://inspiringskills.gov.wales/