Two Donegal students walked away with awards following the 2023 WorldSkills Ireland awards ceremony in Dublin last night.
Several students from the county also received nominations for various awards at the ceremony, which celebrates those taking apprenticeships and skills-focused classes in their chosen fields.
Lee Davison from Buncrana won the Welding competition, after studying welding at the Donegal ETB’s FET Service.
Cloghan’s Martin Doherty also won in the Heavy Vehicle Maintainance competiton, while also currently doing his Heavy Vehicle Mechanics apprenticeship with Bus Eireann.
Lee and Martin were also awarded a Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) Silver Medal for their efforts.
Several other students from Donegal, as well as students from elsewhere taking Donegal ETB courses and apprenticeships were also nominated for awards last night,
Welding student Darren O Donnell from Letterkenny also competed in the welding competition, while apprentice Nathan Wray from Doonan competed in the Carpentry competition. Two apprentices from Convoy, Oran Taylor and Tyler Harkin, competed in the Electrical Installation and Plumbing and Heating competitions.
Also, Donegal Carpentry and Joinery apprentices Barry Ryan, from Dublin, and Richard McElwaine, from Monaghan, competed in the Joinery competition, while former Donegal ETB motor mechanics apprentice Patrick Aaron Martin from Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan was also a WorldSkills Ireland 2023 competitor.
Each competitor achieved a Certificate of Excellence for excelling in their chosen fields to make it into the competition in Dublin.
Another Donegal ETB apprentice, Diarmuid McCaughey, who is currently doing a Level 7 Manufacturing Engineering apprenticeship with Abbotts Diabetes Care in Donegal Town and is a 2023 Apprentice of the Year nominee, spoke about his apprenticeship journey on the Heroes stage at the event.
Donegal ETB staff were also involved in the skills showcase. Carpentry and Joinery Instructor Anthony O’Donnell was an examiner in the Joinery competition, while Donegal ETB’s Senior Welding Instructor Cathal McGee, who is also a WorldSkills Ireland Expert in Welding, was the Chief Examiner at the welding competition, leading a team of three examiners.
