Hospitality workers selected for the UK WorldSkills team

Three workers from the hospitality industry will make up the 26 young men and women that have been chosen to represent the UK at this year's WorldSkills challenge in Canada.

The competition kicks of in September and the chosen three from the hospitality sector are:

Alistair Birt, 21, from Uxbridge, who studies at Thames Valley University. He will represent the Confectioner/Pastry Cook category.

Adam Smith, 22, from Orpington, who works at The Ritz Hotel. Adam will compete in the cooking competition.

Katie Watson, 21, from Hamilton, who works at the Gleneagles Hotel. She will enter the restaurant service category.

Simon Bartley, chief executive of UK Skills, who manages Team UK said: "We are very pleased to welcome each and every member of Team UK. The quality and dedication all our competitors demonstrated during the selection process was of the highest level, but the exceptional work that these 26 individuals carried out proved to judges that they had what it takes to be part of Team UK and represent their country.

"Being selected for the Team however does not mean it's time to relax. From now until September the Team will need to train hard to make sure that they are up to the world class standard they need to be at, to be able to compete against the best young skilled people in the world. We wish them luck in their final months of training."

WorldSkills Calgary 2009 takes place from 1st-6th September. There are 26 members of Team UK, who will compete in 25 skill categories.

The WorldSkills Competition is the biggest skills competition in the world and is held every two years in one of its member countries. Its sets world class standards in over 40 skill categories ranging from cabinet making to web design.

Over four days of tough competition, young people drawn now from 51 member nations test themselves against tough international standards. The ultimate prizes are gold, silver and bronze medals.

Words: Clare Riley

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