Pictured: The three South African winners who will compete in the automotive division at the 2013 World Skills Competition (L-R): Dominic Laranjeira, Scott Alison and David Hlope.

Three young automotive artisans are representing South Africa at the annual World Skills Competition in Leipzig in July this year. They will compete against other tradesmen and -women in their industry at the competition.

Scott Alison (20), David Hlope (21) and Dominic Laranjeira (20)were selected as finalists at the South African leg of this global competition. Representing the country in the autobody repair, automobile technology and car painting categories, respectively, the three will be prepared for the international event by the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) and the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services SETA (merSETA).

Dr Raymond Patel, CEO of merSETA, says the World Skills Competition provides the ultimate challenge for young skilled individuals to test themselves against demanding international standards.

“Alison, Hlope and Laranjeira were selected as the best of the best from their respective automotive trades by the RMI and merSETA, but a lot of work still lies ahead to ensure that they can withstand the rigours of competing on the global stage,” he adds.

Jeff Osborne, CEO of the RMI, says:“It is essential that South Africa keeps pace with international automotive development – and investing in our youth will ensure sustainability of these efforts,” he said.

Dr Johan de Beer, head of human resources at the Imperial Group, has the tough task of preparing the candidates for this year’s competition.

States De Beer:“Their performance in Leipzig is significant in the sense that it determines our position on the ‘World Class Rating Scale’ for our ability and proficiency in the automotive trade. But technical proficiency isn’t enough and competing at this level can place a huge emotional strain on candidates, so I will focus in particular on the areas identified as most challenging by previous years’ candidates to ensure that Alison, Hlope and Laranjeira are holistically prepared for the challenges ahead.”

The World Skills Competition begins on 2 July 2013, attracting a thousand competitors under the age of 23 from around the world.