At the world’s largest skills competition, Jonathan Gill and Matthew Beesley have taken Silver medal position in Landscape Gardening at WorldSkills São Paulo, Brazil 11 – 16 August.


Jonathan Gill and Matthew Beesley

Members of the 40-strong Team UK, all under 25s, landscape gardeners Jonathan Gill and Matthew Beesley have worked through an intensive training programme which has included regional heats, national and international selection events culminating at The Skills Show last November. Supporter Makita UK provided tools, equipment and accessories for the competitors during their training.

“We are absolutely delighted with this result,” says Kevin Brannigan, marketing manager, Makita UK. “As a manufacturer of professional power tools we have supported these very talented young people providing tools and accessories to help support the training programme. They are undoubtedly ambassadors for our brand and for the entire country. It is the enormity of challenges like this that will prepare today’s youth for professional careers going forward and in our eyes they are Super Stars.”

Following five days of intensive competition amongst almost 1,000 of the world’s most skilled young people, the UK squad of talented apprentices and leaners have returned from WorldSkills Sao Paulo 2015 with a bounty of eight medals and 25 medallions, including three golds.

Competing in a two-man team, contestant Jonathan Gill, who runs his own business, Jonathan Gill Landscapes, and also works part time for Historic Royal Palaces (Hillsborough Castle), trained at CAFRE in Northern Ireland and comes from Co Down. “The training I’ve had over the last two years will certainly benefit my career and I send thanks to all our supporters, sponsors and contributors who have helped us to succeed in Brazil.”

Working with team mate Matthew Beesley, who trained at Reaseheath College, Cheshire, and also runs his own business, Beesley Landscapes, says: “The training that I received in preparation for WorldSkills directly relates to the work that I delivered and was pivotal in our success.”

Both Jonathan and Matthew prepared hard for the bi-annual event following a varied training programme under training manager Colin McKnight, a lecturer at CAFRE.

Brannigan continues: “It’s this level of success that is so rewarding for Makita as it is our belief that we should all share the responsibility of prioritising skills training for the industry and the future success of this country. They are role models for the next generation of apprentices and vocational learners.”

Selection for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 will start at The Skills Show 2015, which will take place at the NEC Birmingham 19 -21 November. Free tickets can be booked at www.findafuture.or.uk.