Four Northern Ireland students have been honoured at the recent WorldSkills UK 2010 awards ceremony held in London.

The awards were to celebrate the gold medal winners of the WorldSkills UK national competitions during the past year.

WorldSkills UK is open to young people and adults who have gained or are working towards vocational qualifications.

Hosted by celebrity chef Brian Turner CBE at the IMAX Cinema in London, more than 100 people were presented with the prestigious Gold Award at the ceremony, which is held annually to recognise and celebrate the accomplishments of gold medal winners at all WorldSkills UK National Competitions.

The competitions are run in over 50 skill areas and test competitors' knowledge and practical application against current industry benchmarks.

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Michael Galloway, a student at Northern Regional College, was awarded the gold medal for Mechanical Engineering CAD (Advanced).

Two students from Southern Regional College also achieved gold medals. Luke Hawthorne, an employee of H J O'Boyle Ltd, triumphed in Carpentry and Stuart Millar, employed by Shilliday Refrigeration, scooped top prize in Refrigeration. Richard Green, a student at Belfast Metropolitan College, employed by R. Topping and Sons, picked up the gold in Plastering.

NI Minister for Employment and Learning, Danny Kennedy, said: "Northern Ireland has once again proven that we have a talented workforce with the skills required to compete and win at the highest level.

"Developing a talented workforce is vital to the success of Northern Ireland in the global economy. Skills competitions help to encourage excellence, and raise the status and standards of professional and technical education and training. I would like to offer my congratulations to all the winners."

Brian Turner, a board member of UK Skills, the organisation which manages WorldSkills UK, said: "Each and every one of this year's competitors are shining examples of the fantastic achievements that can be made through a dedication to training.

"Winning a Gold Award at a national level in any WorldSkills UK competition is a huge achievement and one which all competitors should be very proud of."

(GK/KMcA)