Northlink College students add talent to WorldSkills SA Team

From L - R: Renier Wepener - Gold Medal in CNC Turning; Cee-Jay Lakey - Gold Medal in IT Network Systems; Leon Beech - Principal and CEO of Northlink College; Alana James - Northlink College Council Chair; Mihle Mvelakabu - Gold Medal in Bricklaying; Siyabonga Makhathini - Gold Medal in Plumbing and Heating; Shane Appollis - Silver Medal in CNC Turning.

Northlink College obtained four gold, one silver and one bronze medal and will see its gold medalists go on to compete in the International WorldSkills Competition (The Olympics of skills), taking place in Abu Dhabi in October this year.

The Northlink College medal winners are:

Gold medals

• Renier Wepener – CNC Turning
  
• Cee-Jay Lakey – IT Network Systems Administration
  
• Siyabonga Makhathini – Plumbing and Heating
  
• Mihle Mvelakabu – Bricklaying

Silver medal

• Shane Appollis – CNC Turning

Bronze medal

• Rihaco De Bruin – Graphic Design

Assisting the finalists with their preparation for the international event are the National Skills Experts, of which three are also from Northlink College. They are Louis Carelse – CNC Turning; Ryan Marsh – Plumbing and Heating; and Joe Motsapi – IT Network Systems Administration.

76 countries will be participating in more than 50 different skills areas during the competition.

“The College is proud to have produced such a great result in the WorldSkills SA National Competition. This bears testimony of the quality education and training that Northlink provides,” said Trish van der Merwe, Northlink College Deputy Principal: Innovation and Development and member of the Northlink College WorldSkills SA Western Cape Organising Committee. “Northlink is committed to help and support the students achieve greatness during the International WorldSkills Competition and will be following their training and progress in the competition with great expectation.”