Provincial Championships in Crafts and the Restaurant Trade 2006

South Tyrol’s youth is fit for life

By: Ramona Pranter, Landesverband der Handwerker LVH

South Tyrol’s best skilled workers in crafts and in the restaurant and gardening trades have been chosen and will be travelling to Japan in November 2007 for the WorldSkills Competition 

Under the watchful eyes of thousands of visitors they worked with the utmost concentration for three days. Finally, with representatives of government and business as well as some 3,000 spectators present, awards were presented to the winners of the Provincial Championships in Crafts and the Restaurant Trade on Saturday November 25, 2006. The three best in each of 34 vocational categories received medals and cash prizes, and at the same time took a step closer to the WorldSkills Competition in Shizuoka, Japan in November 2007. About one-third of the some 300 participants in the event were young women.

Provincial Governor Luis Durnwalder and Deputy Governor and Provincial Councillor Otto Saurer underscored in their addresses the profound significance of this event for the comprehensive education of maturing young people. “South Tyrol must continue to put its money in our youth and their education. This is the best possible way of investing our funds,” Provincial Councillor Otto Saurer stated.

“South Tyrol’s ability to successfully take on a variety of tasks at the highest level qualifies it to compete with the world class,” was how Herbert Fritz, LVH President and official delegate from WorldSkills Italy, summed up the event. WorldSkills International President Tjerk Dusseldorp, who had come to Bolzano just for the event, was impressed and inspired by the organisation provided by the small region of South Tyrol as well as our outstanding performance.

LVH Director Hanspeter Munter observed that “vocational training in the schools and companies of South Tyrol is ripe for export.”

During the three-day competition, 5,000 students of lower- and upper-level secondary schools, along with their teachers, got an in-depth look into today’s fascinating world of trades and crafts, a realm in which a person’s overall ability remains the key to success. With a total of almost 8,000 visitors, for the first time the Provincial Championships in Crafts and the Restaurant Trade succeeded in attracting wide public interest.

Organisers of the event were the LVH (Provincial Association of Craftsmen and Craftswomen) and the Bureau for German and Ladinian Vocational Education (Amt für deutsche und ladinische Berufsbildung). The South Tyrolean Cooks’ Association (SKV), the South Tyrolean Service Association, the South Tyrolean Gardeners’ Association, the Business Association and the Italian Association for Vocational Training and Counselling were partners in the event. Numerous sponsors supported the event financially.

For more information please visit: www.lvh.it