Best wishes to our champions!

We’re competing in two skills: Aircraft Maintenance with Elliott Farnan and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning with Jack Butler

26 August 2024

Our WorldSkills New Zealand team is Lyon-bound, setting up for hot competition at the 47th WorldSkills International Competition 11-15 September.

Paris recently captivated the world with the Olympic Games, and soon it’s the Paralympic Games turn. Then us, where Lyon is stepping into the limelight showcasing the very best in the world of vocational training and youth excellence. WorldSkills Lyon will be our 10th international event and while it’s one of our smallest teams ever, with only two New Zealand competitors amongst a swarm of more than 1400 from nearly 70 countries and regions around the world — we are dreaming big! And Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, the Hon Penny Simmonds has been invited to attend by Minister Catherine Vautrin and Minister Nicole Belloubet from the French Government. We would love to see you there!

We’re competing in two skills: Aircraft Maintenance with Elliott Farnan and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning with Jack Butler.

Jack Butler is New Zealand’s first international competitor in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Skill. He took out Silver in the WorldSkills Australia Global Competition in Melbourne in May.

Elliott Farnan follows a strong line of New Zealand competitors in the Aircraft Maintenance Skill over our ten international competitions.

Working hard behind the scenes, mentoring, judging and managing logistics are the rest of our team: Skill experts Jeroen Hattink from AirNZ and Neill Adkins, Bryce Arnold, (Team Leader), Michael Naus (Technical Delegate), Michael Hey (Technical Delegate Assistant) and Carl Rankin (WorldSkills New Zealand CEO and Official Delegate).

Of course, whether you are an Olympic athlete or a WorldSkills champion, competing at the top of your game requires a raft of resources. So, a big shout out to Te Pūkenga for their support over the last two years, and to TEC and MOE for earlier stages. And to AirNZ, IRHACE, the RNZDF, ServiceIQ, Airbus NZ, and Active Refrigeration for your current financial, in-kind and on the ground support. Also, to our chair Trevor Taylor, deputy chair Darren Mitchell and trustees Di Lithgow, Erica Cumming, John Wardrop.