Three young plumbers have been chosen to join Squad UK to train for the WorldSkills London 2011 competition next October.

The competition recognises trainee apprentices from various vocations, enabling them to compete against each other to ultimately be crowned the best in their category.


Squad UK plumbing and heating members are Thomas Smith, 20 from Stanford-Le-Hope; Andrew Gunson, 20 of Pudsey; and Shane Trevitt, 21 from Wirral.


By entering the international WorldSkills competition, which only runs every two years in locations around the world, the UK can benchmark and assess training standards from around the world, "helping to create an international workforce here in the UK".


WorldSkills London 2011 will take place from 5 to 8 October 2011 at ExCeL, London.


Smith said: "The competition was tough but it is something we've been training and preparing ourselves for so we were really pleased when we were told we'd got through and made it in to Squad UK.


"Being in the Squad is a great opportunity to showcase what we do, something that not a lot of people get a chance to achieve, and it will highlight how skilled plumbing is."


Visit www.worldskillssquaduk.org for a full list of Squad UK members announced.