“IT S BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE RIGHT FROM THE START…” · ompetitor preparation Pack. Issue...

Competitor preparation Pack. Issue 1. 2016

WorldSkills UK 2016

Landscaping Competition

Competitor Brief

Version 1

“IT’S BEEN AN AMAZING

EXPERIENCE, RIGHT FROM THE

START…” WILL BURBERRY, 2015 GOLD MEDAL WINNER


Contents

APL and WorldSkills

The 2016 Competitions

Your Judges and Top Tips

Garden Design

A must read: Tutor and Employer Information

Health/Dietary Requirements form

A word from the 2015 Gold medal winner

Contacting The Team

The Competition team are contactable with any questions or queries that may pop up during your preparation period. We can be found on:

@APLWorldSkills

APL WorldSkills

Any questions that come from any form of social media or via email, will be reposted in full on our Facebook page along with the answer. This will build up a “Go-To” page full of F.A.Q’s. We strongly recommend you follow us on at least one of these accounts so that you don’t miss anything important! You can also call us on 0118 9303132 to speak to someone.

We will also need to be able to contact you as we may need some things for the pre-competition prep. Please make sure to check your emails once a week. If you have a personal email address you’d rather we use than a college one (if that is what we have for you) please let us know asap on [email protected]. If you miss any deadlines we provide, it may compromise your place in the competition. Don’t let that happen!


The Association of Professional Landscapers The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) comprises of accredited landscape companies who design, build and maintain gardens throughout the UK. The rigorous inspection process to join is the toughest within the industry. Along with the initial inspection, each member is inspected annually to ensure each member has up to date insurances, complies with health and safety law and their quality of work is to the highest standard possible. The APL is the only landscaping scheme operator of Trustmark, a Government endorsed initiative that promotes professional trades to consumers. The APL is thrilled to be a part of WorldSkills as the Landscape Gardening Organising Partner.

“As Chairman of The APL, I am excited about the collaboration with WorldSkills UK and

working with the young professionals during the competition this year. I believe with the team

from the Horticultural Trades Association behind the organisation of the event and our APL

members advising, guiding and mentoring the competitors, we can, at a young age as an

Organising Partner, give a commercial edge as they enter into industry.

It is vital that as a trade body we engage both with young people and colleges alike.

We are always looking for ways to bring the industry and education together. We want to

make sure that the next generation of landscapers is the very best it can be and we encourage

the excellence that can be gained from something like WorldSkills. We need to engage and

fully participate in the game. I am excited at what APL can bring.”

Mark Gregory, Chairman of The APL


WorldSkills International WorldSkills is the world’s largest vocational skills competition of apprenticeships and student courses. The competitions are held on both a national and an international level. WorldSkills International, a not for profit organisation, is responsible for the latter of the competitions. The competitions are open to agencies and bodies which have a responsibility for promoting vocational education and training in their respective countries. WorldSkills International competitions take place every two years, hosted by one of the member countries. The first competition took place in 1950 with the UK hosting the international competition in 1989 and 2011.

WorldSkills UK WorldSkills UK is a member of WorldSkills International. It oversees the UK skills competitions and classifies the UK teams who are entered into the international competition in each sector. The UK competition runs every year, with regional heats across the UK, concluding in a national

finals event across three days and held at the NEC in Birmingham.

UK Competitions In the UK, potential international competitors are drawn from a series of WorldSkills UK competitions, and then take part in a number of “play-off” events. These are specifically designed to simulate the international competition to provide the competitor and the judges with an idea of the international competition pressures, including being observed by the public, together with technical pressure(s), and competing in a high level competition. Not all competitions organised during WorldSkills UK are included in the international cycle.

Likewise some competitions have several levels with Intermediate (approximately Level 2);

Advanced (approximates to level 3) and Higher (which approximates to competitors having five

years’ training/experience). Landscape Gardening is currently an Intermediate/Advanced level

competition.

The Landscape Gardening Competition The Landscape Gardening competition was first introduced as an international competition in

1999 in Montreal. The UK entered for the first time in 2005 in Helsinki and was placed 10th

respectively.

Of the five international competitions that Landscape Gardening has been involved with, the UK

teams have been placed in the top 10 for four years, two of which have resulted in prize

recognition; a Medallion for Excellence in 2007 and a Silver Medal in 2011.

“I can’t lie, it was tiring! But I’m so proud to have to finished

a whole garden by myself...It was worth the effort!” Noel

Taggart, 2015 Bronze Medal Winner


What is expected at the competition:

You must be able to:

Measure, mark, level and plumb

Cut and place stones, slabs and precast units to a given plan or drawing

Cut and assemble timber structures

Place substrate, soil and mulch

Install turf

Plant to a plan as well as free style plant to a specific habitat.

Work with electrical, drainage and irrigation

Unlike most other trades, Landscape gardeners are expected to have a working knowledge of a wide range of skills sets making this competition an extremely challenging experience.

As a competitor you can download the training exercises from the WorldSkills site to help you to practice various skills before the competition. The required areas are:

Plan and mark out, including height measurements.

Hard landscape features including, small unit paving, block work, paving with flagstones, foundations and footings, water features.

Timber work, pergolas, fence details, decking.

Plants and turf. This includes both plan and freestyle planting methods.

Competitors will be expected to carry out any number and combination of the above skills in the competition. A detailed description, design drawings and full plant list of the actual competition garden will be made available to you prior to date of competition. You’ll have it all, so practice, practice, practice!

Your Competition

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare = Success

Use this time to your advantage, plan your approach to completion with your sponsor, lecturer or employer. Allow time each week to get together and practice one of the aspects on the Training exercises. It is very likely that you will be familiar with or are training to the same criteria already.

Keep a skills log to record your sessions in, simple entries are an effective way of looking plotting progress. A simple entry may read:

Practiced with a laser level today, found it helped speed things up on site.

Worked on block paving exercise, cutting blocks with block splitter harder than using a disc cutter, my time to carry out task was 2hours 20 minutes.

“Focus on your weaknesses to

begin with rather than honing your strengths, bringing the two closer together will help raise your skills base.” Jody Lidgard, Landscaping Technical Lead


“The competition has so much value in it. It

brings the coverage for our industry and is

amazing to see.”

Mark Chapelhow, 2015 Silver Medal Winner

Your Semi-Final

You will be expected to demonstrate your skills on a variety of pre planned pieces that will form a small garden. Exact details will be made available at a later date. Having practiced the various basic skills outlined we are looking to take the 8 highest scores through to the next stage of competition which is the National finals at the Birmingham NEC.

The semi-final will begin on Tuesday 19th July at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. This will be Press day at the show and the public will be entering the grounds from Wednesday 20th. It has been decided for the competitors to begin their gardens before the public enters, so that the plots will be in their more advanced stages when the show officially opens on the 22rd. Entrants will have approximately 18 hours to complete the project (Official timings to be confirmed nearer the event) Breaks and lunch are not included in the final build time.

Your Final

As mentioned, the WorldSkills UK final will take place at the NEC Birmingham between 17th-19th November. The garden will be the same design as was for the heat, however, there will be an extra complexity added to the design for the Final.

In 2015, approximately 82,000 members of the public, press, royalty, celebrities and government ministers attended over the 3 day event, along with Primary Schools, Colleges and Professionals, so competitors must be prepared for distractions.

The build will take place in the Built Environment section of the venue and will be amongst 70 other competitions that will be taking place over the 3 days. Saturday 19th will be judging day, so competitors will finish their project at approximately 11am, having completed 2 full building days on Thursday and Friday. Entrants will have approximately 16 hours to complete the project (Official timings to be confirmed nearer the event) Breaks and lunch are not included in the final build time.


Your Judges:

Jody Lidgard Jody has been in the landscape industry for 19 years. Having studied at Otley College,

East Anglia, he currently works in his own business carrying out both commercial and

private landscape work. On the beginnings of his career Jody says “I have always been

inspirited to work outside, having spent many years in HM forces, retraining for

horticulture, felt like the next natural step.” As a multiple RHS Gold Medal Winner, most

recently in 2014, he feels that WorldSkills is an amazing stepping stone for budding

trades students. “I entered WorldSkills through having had students of my own enter

the competition. I realised what a fantastic opportunity they open for young people. I

have been involved with training young people since 2006 and now my time is split

between my own private work and lecturing at various colleges around the country.”

Simon Abbott “Having had six years experience in the landscaping industry and being rewarded with

many achievements, I started my own business in 2008 shortly after I started studying at

Askham Bryan College. In 2009 I was invited to compete in the Regional competition, which

I went on to win. From this, my journey into WorldSkills began. Within WorldSkills I was

part of a team for constructing RHS Gardens at Malvern which I was awarded Silver and

Hampton Court which I was awarded a Silver Guilt and the people’s choice award. I built

the gardens live at these events showing that I can work under pressure. Finally at

WorldSkills London 2011 I achieved a Silver medal. This involved working as a pair building

a garden within twenty-two hours spread over four days which tested me on everything I

had learnt from being able to perform under pressure to the practical side of construction.

Elements in this garden included dry stone walling, paving, streams, bridges and green

space. Since this achievement I have being involved with the following cycle for Germany

and also with national events where I helped with design, briefing and judging these

gardens to a high standard and training to the high standard that I achieved.”


“Without a doubt my fitness was not there to begin with, I found it harder than I expected to keep up with the jobs I had to complete. Once I understood this I got a lot fitter and knew my performance improved because of that.”

Simon Abbott, 2011 International Silver Medal Winner

Top Tips for Success

Simon Abbott, 2011 International Silver Medal Winner

Be passionate about your trade.

Take your time to read and examine plans and instructions, so by the time you pick up your

first tool you have written down your plan of how you aim to take on the test project.

Measure twice, cut once. Materials will be limited during the competition, so get into the

habit of check measuring your work before cutting or reducing materials on site.

Stay focused. It is easy to be distracted by other competitors or judges walking around your

site during competition. Concentrate on your own work and don’t be afraid to stop what you

are doing for a minute or two, stand back and take a look at your progress and quality. This

allows you to have a small break and refocus yourself on the task.

Drink plenty of fluids and take on board energy. Regular hydration and small amounts of the

right food will ensure that your energy levels are maintained throughout the competition. It is

a good opportunity to assess your work and look at your planning notes.

Have a clock on your plot. With your planning to hand, a clock where you can see it helps

clarify your progress during the build.

Break your day into bite size pieces. You will have a timetable given to you with breaks

highlighted. Treat each section as a mini build. This will help you manage your time more

effectively and give you achievable goals/targets to aim for during the competition.

Prepare for competition. This is a physical competition and you will be expected to be both

physically and mentally fit. There will be times when short bursts of energy are needed

coupled with longer periods of demanding work will call upon your physical reserves.

“Train Hard, Work Easy”

Be organised and tidy in your work area. Designate a working area for your tools and keep all

your tools neatly in this area! If you are not using a tool make sure you place it away again

and do not leave it lying around on the ground.

Keep a tape measure and pencil with you at all times.

Be aware of health and safety issues at all times. You will be marked down by judges for poor

practice.

Use every minute of your time wisely. Work to the very end of the competition as you may

achieve an extra point with seconds to spare. Treat your last minutes of competition the

same as your first!

Good communication skills are a must. Being able to listen to instruction and give effective

feedback when required are necessary.


Garden Design: Below is the Garden design, which has been created by our Technical Lead, Jody Lidgard.

The garden will be the same design for both stages of the competition, however, there will be an

additional complexity added to the specifications for the Final in Birmingham.

The final plan includes a variety of both soft and hard landscaping. Competitors must be prepared for

all aspects of garden design.


The Finer Details…

Tutors and Employers must read!

Accommodation:

Tutors:

Semi-Final: The responsibility of booking and paying for the accommodation at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, is in the hands of the College who is supporting the application for the competition. WorldSkills UK provide no funds to cover this cost.

Final: We have booked a room each for every competitor who makes it through to the next stage of the competition at the Ibis Birmingham Airport Hotel. These rooms are booked for 16th-20th November covering he evening Opening event, the competition days and the Saturday evening Closing ceremony. More details of the Opening/Closing events as they come, however competitors will be required for both. This cost is covered by WorldSkills UK.

We have also booked enough rooms to cover a tutor per college at the final. These rooms must be paid for by the college. You will receive an invoice prior to the competition and payment must be received by 30/09/15. The APL must be notified by no later than 30/09/15 if for any reason you will not be using the room. Any cancellations past this deadline will be invoiced at cost.

Under the rules for Student care, a responsible adult from each college must be staying in the same hotel as the student(s) for the duration of the competition (Both the Semi-Final and Final).

Employers:

Semi-Final: The responsibility of booking and paying for the accommodation at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, is in the hands of the Company who is supporting the application for the competition. WorldSkills UK provide no funds to cover this cost.

Final: We have booked a room each for every competitor who makes it through to the next stage of the competition at the Ibis Birmingham Airport Hotel. These rooms are booked for 16th-20th November covering the evening Opening event, the competition days and the Saturday evening Closing ceremony. More details of the Opening/Closing events as they come, however competitors will be required for both. This cost is covered by WorldSkills UK.

We have also booked enough rooms to cover an employer per company at the final. These rooms must be paid for by the employer. You will receive an invoice prior to the competition and payment must be received by 30/09/15. The APL must be notified by no later than 30/09/15 if for any reason you will not be using the room. Any cancellations past this deadline will be invoiced at cost.

Employers are only required to send a chaperone to stay in the same hotel as the competitor (for both stages of the competition) if they are under the age of 18. However, we do recommend for support purposes that someone attends the competition with the competitor (Parent, guardian, company representative)

Snacks and Meals for Competitors

Semi-Final: Breakfast and evening meals are at the expense of the college/employer. We will provide competitors with water throughout the competition days and will also provide a packed lunch and a variety of snacks.

Final: Breakfast is included at the hotel, however evening meals are at the expense of the college/employer, so please make sure your competitor is supported for this. We will provide competitors with water throughout the competition days and will also provide a packed lunch and a variety of snacks.

It is also necessary for us to know of any health issues, allergies, previous health conditions etc that you may have so that we may notify the on-site medical team.

Please let us know of your dietary requirements or any health issues, using the attached form and email it back to: [email protected] or post to: APL WorldSkills, 19 High Street, Theale, Berkshire, RG7 5AH. ALL competitors must sign and return this form, even if there are no medical/dietary issues.


Health/Dietary Requirements Form

Any competitor who needs medication for any reason or has any pre-existing

physical conditions should fill in this form and send it back to The APL

WorldSkills team no later than 2 weeks prior to the Semi-Final.

All competitors must sign the declaration at the bottom of the page and

return to us. Medical/Physical Condition

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

Medication needed/Preventions for Physical Cond.

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..

Dietary Requirements

Please write down any allergies, or dietary requirements that you need for the Semi-Final/Final

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..

“I, the undersigned, confirm that I have provided the APL WorldSkills Landscape Gardening Team,

with all known allergies, pre-existing medical/physical conditions and any medication taken so that

they can notify the on-site medical teams. I agree that I will bring all medication that I should need.

However, should I have forgotten any medication, I will notify the team as soon as I arrive on site.”

Name……………………………………………………..…………………………………….…………………..

College……………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………...

Signature……………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..

Email: [email protected] Post: WorldSkills, 19 High Street, Theale, Reading, Berks, RG7 5AH


2015 Gold Medal Winner:

“Words can’t describe how I’m feeling, I’m completely overwhelmed by it all. It was a really good competition this year as everyone was really equal in standards.

I’m really pleased to have qualified for the chance to go to Abu Dhabi in 2017, I did-n’t think I would at all. Loads more people should be put forward for it. It’s been a really good experience right from the start.

I’m looking forward to being able to use everything I’ve learned in my work. There’ll be no stopping me!”

Will Burberry, 2015 Gold Medal Winner

“IT S BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE RIGHT FROM THE START…” · ompetitor preparation Pack. Issue...

Documents

Transcript of “IT S BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE RIGHT FROM THE START…” · ompetitor preparation Pack. Issue...