As part of Haydn’s apprenticeship, at Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, he completed a BTEC Level 3 in Aeronautical Engineering at Bedford College. Haydn began competing in WorldSkills UK National Competitions during the last year of his apprenticeship.
Established shortly after the Second World War, WorldSkills aimed to combat the skills shortage experienced in the 1950s. Through international competitions, young people were able to showcase their technical and vocational skills. Since then, the WorldSkills competitions have attracted 84 member nations competing for coveted medals. WorldSkills UK, an independent charity, uses “unique assets, resources and networks to help raise training standards and improve young people’s technical and soft skills-set and resilient mindset to ever higher standards.”
Haydn beat the UK’s top aeronautical engineering apprentices to win a silver medal at WorldSkills UK live in 2017. One year later, Haydn earned a coveted place on Team UK, propelling him towards international success at WorldSkills Kazan 2019. Haydn was named the best in the world, winning a gold medal in Aircraft Maintenance. Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, ensured Haydn had full use of their facilities allowing him to practice his skills in a real-life environment.
Haydn believes that both his BTEC apprenticeship and training for WorldSkills UK supported him as he studies his Aeronautical Engineering degree at the University of Nottingham. “Most of my classmates are coming straight from doing A-Levels, I’m much further ahead in terms of real-life industry knowledge and skills. I hope to finish my degree and continue to hone my world-class skills in the aerospace industry.”