South West College student Andrew McCann, who is training in ‘Plumbing & Heating’, is one of the 13 students and apprentices from Northern Ireland who have been named in the UK squad hoping to compete at the WorldSkills competition in Lyon next year.

A total of 94 young people from around the UK will now begin an 18-month intensive training programme in the hope of being selected for the final UK team to compete against their counterparts from more than 80 nations in Lyon in September, 2024.

All squad members will undertake specialist training programmes with WorldSkills UK to help prepare them for competition by developing both their technical and mindset skills.

The squad will be guided through their training by a team of highly-skilled trainers, industry experts, former medal winners and performance coaches to help them prepare for the pressure of competing at such a high level.

The final team to represent the UK on the international stage will be announced next spring.