A COLEG SIR GÂR student who scooped gold at a national skills competition and is in the running to represent the UK at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi, has been commended by Assembly Member Joyce Watson.
Elizabeth Forkuoh, a hospitality, supervision and leadership student at the college’s Pibwrlwyd campus in Carmarthen, won a gold medal at The Skills Show in Birmingham and as a result was chosen to train in the WorldSkills UK squad.
At the show, Coleg Sir Gâr was awarded the highest ranking college in Wales and the second highest ranking college in the UK as a result of gaining six learners in the UK squad. The college also won five gold medals at the show.
Elizabeth’s brother Bruno, was also one of the college’s gold winners as in the Team Manufacturing competition.
A congratulatory event was held at the Senedd for competition hopefuls which Elizabeth couldn’t attend due to a WorldSkills preparatory training programme, which resulted in Mrs Watson’s visit to Coleg Sir Gâr.
Joyce Watson, AM for mid and West Wales, said: “Elizabeth is already a gold standard student and hopefully she will be one of the three chosen to represent the UK at Abu Dhabi or at EuroSkills in Gothenburg.
“The fact that Elizabeth spoke virtually no English when she moved to Wales from Italy is testament to her being at the top of her game and shows her intellectual abilities and overall roundedness.
“The education and experience within industry that she is undertaking is a contributing factor to her success.”
Elizabeth looks up to her mentor Paul Wilson, who has been with her from the beginning of her competition journey. “I don’t think I’d have won gold if it wasn’t for the training,” she said.
“Paul instils good discipline and is someone who believes in me. The whole process has been a positive experience and I think winning gold in Birmingham was the high point for me.”
Paul Wilson, skills mentor at Coleg Sir Gâr added: “It’s been a privilege to mentor Elizabeth. “She has such a professional attitude that it’s been a pleasure to mentor her.
“She has the ability to cope with stressful situations and has the right aptitude and approach to be very successful in industry.”
If Elizabeth is chosen to compete for the UK in Abu Dhabi she will defer studying hospitality at university for a year as she describes the opportunity as a ‘chance in a lifetime’.
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