Judges

Can you give us an overview of your career to date?

“From leaving school in 1980 I undertook a mechanical engineering apprenticeship before undertaking a position at T.I Tubes, where I undertook an Electrical NVQ. Throughout the ’90s I worked for a medium-size electrical company on a range of large installations and progressed to Electrical Supervisor and QA before moving into a facilities role for a major hotel and motorway service company. In 2001 I started teaching at Leicester College where I progressed to the Programme Area Manager of the Electrical Department and in 2022 joined Scolmore as Technical Engagement Engineer. I have written published materials for Cengage, Nelson Thorne, Sparks and Voltimum. I am an active member of the Electrical National forum.”

What do you enjoy the most about SkillELECTRIC and your role as a judge?

“I first visited the competition in 2006 where Leicester College won the Regional heat. During this time I was impressed with the scale of the competition and the quality of the candidates work at national level. SkillELECTRIC is set to a very high standard which clearly challenges the individuals.

I am passionate about promoting the electrical industry and value trade competitions which offer enrichment and opportunities for students, the competition create opportunities to learn from industry experts and I see this as a natural progression to use my skills set as the highest level of training and education. Working alongside similar qualified and experience peers provides the ideal opportunity for continuous professional development for myself; development which I can use to enhance the learner experience and help to develop future WorldSkills competitors.

“Since joining Scolmore in 2022 in the Technical Engagement Team we are proud to support the development of all electricians.”

Can you give us an overview of your career to date?

“I’ve spent over 20 years in the electrical industry, starting as an electrical apprentice and working my way up through the ranks. Throughout my career, I’ve always had a passion for sharing my knowledge and helping others grow. This led me to an exciting role in education, where I worked as a lecturer at Coleg Cambria and later I held the roles of Technical Training Developer and Learning Experience Manager at NICEIC, where I had the opportunity to help shape the training of industry professionals while refining my own skills in training and development.

More recently I was the Lead Technical Advisor for Building Services Engineering at EAL Awards, where I worked to ensure that qualifications and assessments were aligned with the needs of the industry. And now I currently oversee the Certsure and NICEIC portfolio of education and training products, where I enjoy working in partnership with the training delivery team to continue advancing the quality of education and professional development across the sector.”

What do you enjoy the most about SkillELECTRIC and your role as a judge?

“Having mentored several students through the process, I have witnessed first-hand how competitions can not only help a learner develop technically but also on a personal level. I have seen a student’s journey from competing at a local level through to Team UK and competing on the world stage. SkillELECTRIC provides competitors with experiences and opportunities they would not ordinarily have, and it is amazing to see how a young persons’ career and future can be enhanced by getting involved with SkillELECTRIC. I feel that this insight into the journey makes me well placed to support competitors through the judging process and onto the final.”

Profile coming soon…