A self-professed IT lover and programmer, web design is one of Junior’s fervent passions. In his free time, Junior enjoys playing video games and has some experience with game design and game programming. Through this experience, Junior hopes to be able to represent his school and even Singapore in more national and inter-national competitions.

Zoe was inspired by her senior Loh Yi Qi, who won the gold medal in Visual Merchandising in WorldSkills Singapore 2011, and subsequently won the bronze at the international WorldSkills Competition. She has also heeded Yi Qi’s advice to enjoy the whole competition process. Training has helped Zoe to better understand the field of Visual Merchandising and improve her presentation skills. She hopes to develop and present creative and interesting design concepts during the competition.

Elena, the only competitor from Singapore Polytechnic, was anxious about the WorldSkills Competition experience. However, after camps and training with Team Singapore, she feels more at ease as she has bonded with the team, and has made new friends. As her team mates are also in the same shoes, her new friendships have given her support and strength through the competition process. While Elena will put her best foot forward, she believes that enjoying the process and her experience in Leipzig is more valuable.

The main motivating factors that drove both Gavin and Asraf to participate in the competition were their love for taking up challenges and solving problems. Though mistakes were made along the way, the duo treated them a part of their learning process and persevered on.

Communication was an important factor in programming and decision making, especially under strict timing constraints. As Gavin and Asraf have to communicate with each other constantly with regards to the programming and planning of the robot’s path, relaying succinct messages were vital to prevent misunderstandings in communication.

Performing under pressure not only gave them knowledge but an improved set of personal qualities. They are grateful for the support from their family, coaches and teammates as they are a source of motivation and inspiration throughout the entire WorldSkills journey.

When Kok Hong and Sean won the WorldSkills Singapore 2012 Competition, they were over the moon. They knew it was going to be a tough period with the intensive training required to prepare themselves for the competition, but they are thankful that it has been a valuable learning opportunity. These forward-thinking young men appreciate that the training sessions and competition experience will help them professionally when they join the industry as working adults. They are determined to excel in the competition and do their very best.