WorldSkills Kazan
2019 took place from 22-27 August and representing the UK in Landscape
Gardening were 2017 APL WorldSkills UK competitor Sam Taylor and 2016
competitor Shea McFerran.
The duo did a
fantastic job and achieved an amazing fourth place as well as receiving the
Medallion of Excellence, showing that they are working to an international
skill level.
Speaking of the
competition, Shea McFerran said, “Competing at WorldSkills Kazan has been the
toughest experience for me yet, but when it finished both Sam and I got the
biggest buzz. To know our work was judged to be the world standard in
landscape gardening is just an amazing feeling.”
Sam Taylor
commented, “I am really happy with how the competition went knowing that myself
and Shea put 100% into it. Being able to say you have represented your country
at a world class competition is special but being able to say you achieved 4th
place and receiving a Medallion Of Excellence is unreal! Couldn’t be happier
with the end result.”
Over four days (22
hours of competition) Sam and Shea had to build a garden based on a Russian
style design that incorporated a large lake in the middle which was surrounded
by wetlands and had a waterfall which cascaded out of natural stone.
There was a natural stone path in the garden which Sam and Shea had to
cut by hand, and there were steel raised flower beds to be constructed. As well
as being marked on the final construction, they were also marked on elements
such as work organisation and management, customer service and communications
and garden design and interpretation.
The WorldSkills
competition takes place every two years and hosts the world skills competition
which attracts more than 1,300 Competitors from more than 60 countries. At this
event, young people from all corners of the globe gather together for the chance
to win a prestigious medal in their chosen skill. There are competitions in 56
skills across a wide range of industries — from joinery to floristry;
hairdressing to electronics; and autobody repair to bakery. The Competitors
represent the best of their peers and are selected from skills competitions
that are held in WorldSkills Member countries and regions.
