Will Hunt, a welder at
Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd, has been chosen to ‘fly the flag’ for the UK and the East Midlands at the prestigious international
WorldSkills 2022 competition in China later this year.
Mr Hunt, who works at the Raynesway site in Derby, was selected after excelling in national welding competitions. He is now part of the 39-strong Team UK and will ‘face off’ against competitors from 80 countries to bring home gold in their respective fields.
On hearing the news, he said: “The welding competitions have been an excellent opportunity for me to broaden my welding skills and knowledge. It has also been a great experience welding in a competitive environment at the national finals.
“To be picked to represent the UK on an international stage is something everyone dreams of and I can only thank Rolls-Royce and my colleagues for the support, training and encouragement they have given me to get this far.
“I have also been supported by Jake Rambaldini, from UK firm Rambaldini Welding Services, who has hosted the previous competitions and provided me with expert one-to-one welder training in preparation for the final in Shanghai, so it has been a real industry collaboration.”
Rolls-Royce Submarines has recently announced the launch of its own Nuclear Skills Academy, based in Derby, and the introduction of 200 additional nuclear apprentice places every year for at least 10 years. The ambition is to nurture and uncover new talent across a range of nuclear skills, including welding.
Dubbed the ‘Skills Olympics’, the World Skills event is a biennial competition that rewards excellence in technical disciplines. The charity brings together young people, industry leaders and education providers to celebrate the value of technical education and training.
Steve Crisp, a Rolls-Royce Welding School Group Lead, who has coached Will throughout the competition, has been instrumental in his development, said: “I know how hard Will has worked and how proud he is to be representing Rolls-Royce and Derby on the world stage. It is nothing less than he deserves. This shows the wider welding community that Rolls-Royce Submarines are now a serious contender to win gold, due to the high skill level our apprentices are attaining in order to work at this business.”
For 60 years, Rolls-Royce has provided the power for all of the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines from its base in Raynesway, Derby.