Thanks to the work invested by the State Education Development Agency (VIAA), the participation of the Latvian team at the international professional skills competition WorldSkills, which is also referred to as the Olympic Games of Skills, has been highly successful by proving the high level of skill, know-how and smartness of our young people to the whole world.
At the closing ceremony of the competition which took place in the evening on the 7th of July, Beatrise Dzērve, a student of Liepāja Secondary School of Arts, received a silver medal in the group of professions of Visual Merchandising/Window Dressing. Beatrise Dzērve received another medal and the title "Best of Nation" for the best national performance. The young professionals were trained for participation at the competition by the VIAA who is the Latvian member organisation in the WorldSkills International Association. This was the first year when VIAA represented Latvia with its own team as a full fledged member of this organisation. It brings even more pleasure that we have received a medal on the first serious start at the competition.
During the preparation for the competition and at the competition Beatrise was supported by Ilze Začeste, a designer and expert, who admitted that Beatrise is a talented young professional. At the warm and emotional closing ceremony of the competition the whole team of Latvia and the VIAA was praised for the high quality and professional performance and the preparedness to participate at this high level global competition.
This has been a huge responsibility and a challenging task for Latvia, and in particular, the VIAA , the organisers of the competition team in Latvia, to select the most perspective young professionals within various profession groups at the competition and to motivate them for this serious and responsible event, as well as to provide support to the team during the competition.
This year young professionals from 52 countries worldwide demonstrated their skills within 46 profession groups at the competition on the global stage. Germany had invested 45 million euros for organising this competition. WorldSkills 2013 competition should be considered the biggest event during the history of this competition.
Among more than 1000 participants Latvia was represented by eight young professionals who demonstrated their skills in seven professions:
- Beatrise Dzērve – visual merchandising/window dressing (a student of Liepāja Secondary School of Arts);
- Daniels Stašūns and Alens Zvilna – mobile robotics (students of Riga Technical College);
- Salvis Poišs – information and communications technologies (a student at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences);
- Erlens Brutāns – wood processing/cabinet making (a student at Riga Secondary School of Crafts);
- Edgars Cimbēns – decorative painting (a student at Priekuļi and Jāņmuiža Technical College);
- Laura Salmiņa – hairdressing (a graduate of Riga Vocational Secondary School of Style and Fashion);
- Aigars Sīlis – cooking (a graduate of Kuldīga Vocational Secondary School of Technologies and Tourism).
The VIAA delegation is gaining valuable specific experience of participation and organisation of work at competitions of this scale at every competition event. In this way we learn about the progress of technical tasks for competitors and the technical provision of other countries.
Next WorldSkills competitions will take place in 2015 in Brazil and in 2017 in the United Arab Emirates.
