trends in automation
Festo worldwide
36
–
37
Great Britain
trends in automation
Festo worldwide
36
–
37
WorldSkills update
which takes place from 5-8
th
October
2011 at London’s ExCel Centre. At
WorldSkills young people from across the
globe compete to become the best of the
best in their chosen skill. 150,000 visitors
are expected to watch 1,000 competitors
from 50 nations competing in 45 skill
areas over four exciting days of
competition.
Festo, as founding global partner of
WorldSkills and official sponsor of the
Mechatronics and Mobile Robotics
competitions, is supplying the equipment,
as well as, assisting in the competition
organisation for those skill categories.
The Mechatronics competiton reflects
reality on the shop floor – people working
under pressure to design, implement
solutions, maintain and constantly
improve production and fix machines
quickly when faults occur. Competitors
enter as teams of two, reflecting the
philosophy that only people working in a
team – constantly learning from each
other – can master the challenges of
manufacturing excellence.
Chris Downey and Mark Maginty from
Northern Regional College in Northern
Ireland have been selected for the
Mechatronics Team UK to go forward
and compete in the 41
st
WorldSkills
Competition in London from 5-8
th
October
2011.
The overall team of 43 members
representing 37 skills areas was
announced by Minister of State for
Further Education, Skills and Lifelong
Learning, John Hayes MP, at the National
Apprenticeship Awards.
Employment and Learning Minister, Dr
Stephen Farry said: “To be selected for
Team UK is an amazing achievement and I
wish each team member the best of luck
with their training, and look forward to
watching them take on the best in the
world in October.”
The entire team are now preparing to take
on the very best young skilled people
from 50 nations at the largest
international vocational skills competition
in the world, WorldSkills London 2011,
Barroso in Esslingen
The European Union needs companies
that can achieve long-term growth and
thus strengthen Europe’s position as a
location for industrial production. This was
the core message of the President of the
EU Commission José Manuel Barroso
during his visit to Festo in
Esslingen-Berkheim earlier in the year.
Accompanied by EU Commissioner
Günther Oettinger, Barroso showed great
interest in production concepts of the
future, the global technical training
concept of Festo Didactic and the
company’s new approaches to energy
efficiency using bionics.
From left to right:
José Manuel Barroso, EU; Dr. Eberhard Veit, Chairman of the Board of Directors of
Festo AG; Günther Oettinger, EU Commissioner; Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Reinhard, Minister of Federal,
European and International Affairs.
Germany
Strengthening locations