News
Matthew and Leonie are in the running for World Skills UK medals
Published: 15 September 2021
Belfast Met Carpentry and Joinery department is celebrating after two of their students have made it through to the World Skills UK final.
Matthew Connor and Leonie McDonagh competed in the Northern Ireland heat of Skillbuild 2021 and were not only the best in Northern Ireland but were amongst the top marks in the UK in their trade area.
Leonie started studying Level 1 Construction at Belfast Met in 2018 and went on then to study Carpentry and Joinery L2 which she managed to complete in one year, in spite of the impact of the pandemic during her time studying at the College, she progressed to Carpentry and Joinery L3 which she also completed in one year, getting an overall distinction.
Leonie previously took part in the Skillbuild College competition in January 2020 and produced an excellent piece of work but unfortunately didn’t qualify for the Northern Ireland finals. She is now studying a Foundation degree in Architectural Technology at Belfast Met and will no doubt use her carpentry and construction knowledge to excel in this area.
Matthew is in his 2nd year of the Carpentry and Joinery course having completed in the Skillbuild competition in his first year. This is a fantastic achievement for Matthew to qualify for the UK finals and is an incredible achievement. He produces a high standard of work and has already received distinction marks across all units in his first year.
Kieron Flannery, Lecturer in Construction and Built Environment, said: ”I’m extremely proud of Leonie and Matthew who received excellent results and high scores. The competition then moved on to England, Scotland and Wales during June, July and August.
“There was a long wait for our two student finalists who also had to complete an online assessment in July, after taking part in the Northern Ireland heat back in May. They will now be busy practicing their skills before the final in November and are in with a good chance of bringing back some medals.”
Belfast Met wishes Matthew and Leonie the best of luck in the World Skills UK final which takes place at the National Construction College in Bircham Newton in England over three days in November.