A Coleg Ceredigion student is heading to Gdańsk in Poland to compete against the best hospitality workers in Europe to be crowned the winner of the EuroSkills competition.

Daniel Davies, age 21,from Aberporth, is participating in the Restaurant Services category at EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023, the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in Europe.

Over 600 competitors will travel to Poland from across Europe to showcase their technical knowledge and capabilities in a series of challenges, with the winner being crowned best in their field.

EuroSkills is the bi-annual European competition hosted by WorldSkills, an initiative that inspires young people to develop a passion for skills and pursue excellence through national and international competitions.

Daniel was selected to represent Team UK after taking part in the WorldSkills UK Finals, where he mastered his skill and excelled against his peers.

Speaking before leaving for Poland, Daniel said: “It still hasn’t kicked in that I’ll be representing Team UK next week. I absolutely love competing to challenge my knowledge and skills. The competitions are a great opportunity to learn as much as you can, and I get a real adrenaline rush from it.

“I started out competing regionally in Skills Competition Wales but didn’t win a medal the first time. I then entered again, came home with a gold, and went on to the UK Nationals. Now I’ve been selected to represent Team UK on an international stage at EuroSkills.”

Daniel will be participating in a series of projects within strict time frames over the course of four days from September 5th – 9th, with the results being announced on the final day.

More than 80 countries participate in WorldSkills, which helps develop skills through global training standards, benchmarking systems, and enhancing industry engagement.

In Wales, the project is funded by the Welsh Government and run by a dedicated network of colleges, work-based learning providers and employer-led organisations from across the country.

Paul Evans, Project Director at Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales, said: "Our country is committed to investing in young people, and skills competitions are an exciting and successful way to hone their skills to world-class standards, ultimately setting them up for success in their future careers.

"Every year, we see bright young Welsh people shine when competing against their national and international peers, which pays great tribute to the quality of tutorage and training they receive.

"Congratulations to the four young competitors from Wales who will go to the EuroSkills competition in Gdansk this September. We’re all wishing you the best of luck and victory in your endeavours.”