A teenage landscape gardener from Nantwich has proved his talent by taking a bronze medal in the WorldSkills UK finals.
Reaseheath College student Aaron Byrne, 17, took on the challenge in front of thousands of visitors to The Skills Show in Birmingham last week.
The three-day competition, run by the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL), aims to identify and nurture team members for WorldSkills – an Olympic-style final which showcases the world’s top young talent in vocational industries.
Aaron and six other young landscapers demonstrated their technical skills in block paving, decking construction and plant placement at the highest level.
Top students will join a squad being prepared for WorldSkills 2019, to be held in Russia.
Aaron, a former Weaverham High School pupil, said: “This was a real challenge against very strong competition.
“But it was a great opportunity for me to show off technical skills and knowledge I’ve gained from my course at Reaseheath.
“The competition was very hard work but definitely worth it.
“The judges’ feedback was really useful and I’m looking forward to doing more training.”
Jody Lidgard, APL technical lead and trainer, added: “We have a lot of young talent moving up through the ranks and producing work to a good, professional standard.
“This is very pleasing as we are putting all our efforts into standardising and improving the skills coming into the industry.
“This competition gives us a fantastic opportunity to showcase the skills of our future landscapers and to prove what a rewarding career lies ahead for them.”
Aaron hopes to follow in the footsteps of former Level 3 student Matt Beesley, from Winsford.
Matt was a member of the Team UK WorldSkills squad in Sao Paulo in 2015 and successfully brought home a silver medal – Britain’s first ever medal in garden landscaping.
Another ex-horticulture student Richard Carden, from Tattenhall, has become a WorldSkills UK Champion after successfully competing in the national finals in 2014.
The Skills Show is the nation’s largest skills, apprenticeships and careers event and attracts nearly 80,000 visitors.
(Pic: Successful WorldSkills UK competitor Aaron Byrne; and, below, seven WorldSkills UK landscaping finalists with APL judging team and sponsors Makita)
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