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Young skilled professionals from across Europe recently came together in Graz, Austria, to demonstrate their various skills at EuroSkills 2021. Four Blum participants showcased their talent and took home one silver and three bronze medals.

Kevin Emhofer (CNC Turning); Mike Fink (CNC Milling); Lukas Schwärzler (Industrial Mechanics); and Lucas Dolinar (CAD Design) were the four young professionals from Blum who took part at the seventh European vocational skills championship.

Silver medal in CNC Turning
The 22-year-old from Hoechst beat some tough competition in the CNC Turning category, taking home the silver medal. As he'd just completed his national service, there was little time for him to prepare, let alone for him to end up winning a silver medal. "It feels really good to have the medal around my neck," he says the

Three bronze medals
As the level expertise at EuroSkills is so high, the competition's three days are therefore very challenging, and entrants spend months preparing. Lucas Dolinar was one of three Blum workers to secure third place in CAD Design: "The long and intense training that I undertook in preparation paid off and everything went to plan for me." The fourth member of the Blum team also impressed in the Industrial Mechanics category and took home a bronze medal: "It wasn't always plain sailing during the competition; I really had to keep a cool head," says Lukas Schwärzler. "Right up until the end, I wasn't sure if I'd done enough. Winning a medal is an indescribable feeling."

Exceptional performances by apprentices & instructors
An international competition is always an exciting challenge for apprentices and instructors alike, and Dieter Hämmerle, Head of Vocational Training at Blum commented how he was "extremely proud of all our competitors and overjoyed by their outstanding achievements." stresses. The best of the best compete at EuroSkills, and it's great to see that the entrants' intensive preparation, which includes mental coaching and team building exercises, has really paid off. He continues: "We're delighted that EuroSkills 2021 took place – despite all the setbacks. This international competition is very important to us as a company that believes in training and apprenticeships, because it also puts the quality of our vocational training to the test, time and time again. Everyone is talking about the shortage of skilled professionals. These kinds of competitions are all the more reason to help counteract this. Next time, I hope that we can compete with even more participants – and perhaps some female competitors too."

For more information on Blum UK, call 01908 285 700 or visit www.blum.com.