Barnham engineer to compete in world competition

Elyot Harmston from Barnham has been selected to represent the United Kingdom at this year’s World Skills competition in China in the autumn.

The competition has been described as the “skills Olympics”, a global showcase where the most talented young people from more than 80 countries compete to be the best in their trade.

From engineering and carpentry to digital design, hairdressing and hospitality, competitors face intense, real‑world challenges designed to test their speed, precision and creativity.

It’s a chance for apprentices and students to prove their skills on an international stage, and for the UK to celebrate the next generation of highly trained professionals.

Specialising in aircraft maintenance, Mr Harmston went through a rigorous selection process, which began whilst he was working as an apprentice at BAE Systems.

The former Bishop Luffa pupil said: “I like a challenge and I like the idea of pushing myself as far as I can.  I want to be the person that someone calls if they have a job that needs doing in this niche area of aerospace that I work in.”

Last week, Mr Harmston was in China to train on the models and systems he will be working on during the competition. He said his friends and family have been very supportive of the huge time commitments, but that because World Skills is not particularly well-known here in the UK, the pressure is “off a bit”.

He will be flying out to Shanghai for the opening ceremony in September, before taking part in a series of high‑pressure, real‑world engineering challenges designed to mirror the tasks that professional aircraft technicians do every day.

The challenges include everything from diagnosing faults to installing components, and electrical testing, as well as safety compliance.

The competition demonstrates the importance of vocational training and offers a career launchpad for hundreds of young people.