An apprentice from John Sisk & Son is preparing to represent the company at the World Skills Ireland competition later this week.

Fourth-year apprentice PJ Ewing successfully made it through the preliminary rounds and is now preparing for the competition on Tuesday 13 September.

Commenting ahead of the competition, PJ said: "We had to make a piece and send it off to Sligo IT to be judged.


"If I do win, it will be great as it gives the company recognition. This will be my first time doing a bit of proper joinery outside of college. We make doors here in the Training Centre but it wouldn't be anything technical like this.


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"I've had people coming over from head office wishing me luck. They're saying there's no pressure on me – all I've to do is do my best."

PJ knew about Sisk prior to his apprenticeship because his father had worked on Liffey Valley. He had also done a day trip to the joinery when he was in school. "We met Dave and a couple of guys who are now foremen but would have been apprentices then. When I finished school it was the first place I thought of."


Like the run-up to any competition, PJ is spending his time practising in advance of September 13. "You have to keep doing it – getting that memory into your hands. You can see it getting better every time – it's just repetition."


He also has former apprentice Cian Lawless – who won the competition three times – helping him. "He's showing me ways to make things better."


World Skills Ireland takes place in RDS Simmonscourt from 13-15 September.