Eleven competitors from Iceland to take part in EuroSkills in Poland

EuroSkills generally takes place every two years, and Iceland has had representatives in the competition since 2007, but never as many as this year, with 11 in total. At the last European Championship, held in Budapest, Hungary, Iceland won a silver medal in electronics.

EuroSkills will be opened with pomp and circumstance at an opening ceremony this evening, Tuesday, 5 September in Gdańsk, but the competition itself will take place from 6-8 September. The closing ceremony and award presentation will then be held on Saturday, 9 September.

A strong national team

Eleven young and promising representatives will participate in the following skills:

• Bakery - Finnur Guðberg Ívarsson, Hotel and Food School
• Restaurant Service - Finnur Gauti Vilhelmsson, Hotel and Food School
• Graphic Design Technology - Olivier Piotr Lis, Technical College
• Hairdressing - Irena Fönn Clemmensen, Akureyri Comprehensive College
• Industrial Control - Benedikt Máni Finnsson, Technical College
• Butchery - Bríet Berndsen Ingvadóttir, Hotel and Food School
• Cooking - Hinrik Örn Halldórsson, Hotel and Food School
• Plumbing and Heating - Kristófer Daði Kárason, Technical College
• Electronics - Hlynur Karlsson, Technical College
• Electrical Installations - Przemyslaw Patryk Slota, East Iceland Comprehensive College
• Cabinetmaking – Van Huy Nguyen, Technical College

Iceland's representatives all have in common that they were victorious at the Icelandic Skills Competition, which took place in Laugardalshöll last March. Around 600 competitors from 32 nations will compete at EuroSkills, along with their coaches and support teams. The competition will be held in 42 skills, and around 100,000 spectators are expected in Gdańsk from 5-9 September. The Icelandic competitors are accompanied by coaches and a support team, and the Icelandic group numbers around 40 people.

Important for the development of vocational and technical education

"Participating in EuroSkills is very important for the development of industry and no less so for vocational and technical education in Iceland," says Georg Páll Skúlason, chairman of Verkiðn, or Skills Iceland as the organisation is known internationally.

EuroSkills is organised by WorldSkills Europe, which is part of the international WorldSkills movement and aims to promote vocational and technical education and its opportunities. "The organisation works systematically with governments and industry to prepare society for the jobs of the future. Each participating country strives to develop its skills in every trade, and participation in EuroSkills also contributes to the strong professional development of the vocational and technical teachers who take part in training our promising representatives competing on behalf of Iceland," says Georg Páll.

Returning home with a wealth of experience

Sigurður Borgar Ólafsson is the team leader of the Icelandic national team. He is a qualified waiter and participated in the last EuroSkills, which took place in Budapest, Hungary in 2018. "There's a great buzz in the group and a lot of excitement to get started at EuroSkills here in Gdańsk. This is a very strong group, as they are the best in their field in Iceland after becoming Icelandic champions in their respective vocational and technical skills. The most important thing is not to win a gold medal at EuroSkills, but rather to be happy and feel good about participating. Then to come home to Iceland with a wealth of experience and valuable takeaways that can be passed on," says Sigurður Borgar.

Follow the Icelandic competitors on social media

The Icelandic competitors will be followed at EuroSkills in words and pictures. You can follow along on the website www.namogstorf.is, Facebook and Instagram.