VTi
We focus on youth in vocational education or (research) university and help to make tech-education more attractive. We provide career inspiration and information, and increase young people’s positive attitude to play a role in making the energy transition happen.
Story of change
“WorldSkills was an amazing experience”
WorldSkills NL
What’s it like to compete in WorldSkills and win a gold medal to boot? Bryan Smit is the best person to tell you.
The Skills Finals marked Bryan’s third Skills competition and the second time he won the Dutch championship in his category: plumbing and heating technician. And he’s quite proud of that: “This victory gave me the opportunity to compete as a representative of the Dutch team at the European finals in Denmark, and now I’ll compete in Shanghai at the WorldSkills finals.”
Team spirit
Bryan thinks WorldSkills was an amazing experience. “You get to know a lot of people and build a special bond with the other competitors. Everyone is there with the same goal: to give it their all and deliver a top performance. That creates a tremendous sense of unity within the team. That team spirit, the experiences and everything that comes with it made me really want to compete again when I got the chance.”
He can also put his WorldSkills experiences to good use in his work. “During competitions, you learn to perform tasks more efficiently without compromising on quality. Think, for example, of installing pipes on a wall or planning your work strategically. You’re constantly learning to find the most efficient way of working.”
Self-confidence
Bryan is happy to share some tips with future participants. “Prepare thoroughly and accept that not everything will go perfectly. If something goes wrong during the competition, stay calm, move on to the next section and try to perform that one especially well.”
The WorldSkills champion will soon begin a training program to become a Senior Technician. “I can definitely see myself in a leadership role, such as a hands-on foreman. WorldSkills has not only given me technical skills, but also valuable connections, self-confidence and experiences that will stay with me throughout my career.”
