Evan and Yuliia competing in EuroSkills 2025

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai students Evan Klimaszewski and Yuliia Batrak are competing in EuroSkills 2025 in Denmark this week.

They are among 19 students and apprentices across the country selected to represent Team UK in Europe’s largest skills competition, which takes place in Herning from September 9 to 13.

Evan, who is studying for a Higher National Certificate in General Engineering at Coleg Menai in Llangefni, will compete in the Electronics discipline.

Yuliia, who studies Level 3 Food and Beverage Service Supervision at Coleg Llandrillo in Rhos-on-Sea, is in the Restaurant Service category.

WorldSkills UK have selected Evan and Yuliia for EuroSkills 2025 following months of competitions and rigorous selection processes.

Evan said: “I am so happy to have been selected to represent the country at Euroskills Herning this year. I have had the opportunity to learn so much from WorldSkills and have met so many wonderful people in the process.”

Yuliia said: “I am very excited to be able to represent a whole country in the biggest European competition in restaurant services. I feel very honoured to do it and promise to do my best.

“College supported me during my training really well so I am 100% ready to smash it. All the tutors have been extremely helpful and understanding so I can’t be more grateful to college for this incredible opportunity.”

Also going to Herning are Coleg Menai engineering lecturers Geraint Rowlands and Bryn Jones, who will serve as experts on the judging panels for electronics and mechanical engineering (computer-aided design) respectively.

Geraint said: “The intensive training Evan and Yuliia have received in recent months with WorldSkillsUK has given them the opportunity to excel in their chosen fields.

“By competing at EuroSkills they will be testing their skills against the best young people across Europe.

“My role as an expert on the judging panel for electronics means I will be bringing back examples of best practice in the industry, which will be of direct benefit to our current and future students.”

Aled Jones-Griffith, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai Chief Executive, said: “We are immensely proud that Evan and Yuliia have been selected in 'Team UK' for EuroSkills 2025, and wish them every success in Herning.

“Their selection is fully deserved following their excellent performances at the WorldSkills UK national finals, in which they demonstrated not only their high level of skills but also their determination to succeed in their chosen career paths.

“Their success so far serves as a great example to all our learners of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication. It is also testament to Grŵp Llandrillo Menai staff, who have supported and mentored them through the competition process.

“We are also delighted that Geraint and Bryn are attending as experts - testimony that Grŵp Llandrillo Menai staff are indeed industry experts, who are proud to share their knowledge and expertise with our learners, whilst themselves continually further developing their subject knowledge.”

Evan and Yuliia are both in the UK training squad preparing for WorldSkills 2026, which takes place in Shanghai from September 22 to 27 next year.

Also in the training squad are Madeleine Warburton (Renewable Energy), an RWE apprentice wind turbine technician studying at Coleg Llandrillo in Rhyl, and Peter Jenkins (Robotics), a former engineering student at Coleg Menai.

Over the coming months, they will continue to take part in selection events before discovering whether they have earned a place in Team UK for the global ‘Skills Olympics’ in China.

Looking ahead to WorldSkills 2026, Aled Jones-Griffith added: “Pob lwc to Evan, Madeleine, Peter and Yuliia as they strive for a place in next year’s WorldSkills competition. We take great pride in their endeavours, and hope to see them representing Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, Wales and the UK in China next year.”