Where are they now?

MTC 2001 Competitors

Stephen Freijser
Tim O’Donnell
Ben Irwin
Jayson Munro

Stephen, Tim, Ben and Jayson competed in the 2001 MTC competition in Seoul, Korea. The team won gold.

Ben Irwin

1. What was your motivation in participating in the MTC competition?

Travelling, learning new skills, meeting new people, putting myself under pressure.

2. What was the biggest thing you learned from MTC?

Keep your eyes on the prize; don’t let little things bring you down.

3. Would you recommend the MTC and WorldSkills competitions to others? What would you tell them about it?

Definitely, there is so many positives I cant fit them all in, however the main reason would be for the awesome experience of the whole process and the personal benefits in the future i.e. new friends, increased global contact, greater confidence, greater experience.

4. What experiences have you had since the competition?

I have assisted world skills with the Youth Forum which was a real character building experience. Work is constantly throwing new things at me and I am about to head OS to work.

5. What are you doing in your job at the moment?

I am with the same company I have been with for 8 years. I have gone from an apprentice to a supervisor, designer, co-ordinator, and draftsman. All of these duties carry a huge amount of responsibility.

6. Do you have any advice for this year’s competitors?

Focus on the gold, forget what your competitors are doing, nothing is as it seems. Set yourself goals and achieve them.

7. Is there anything else you want to tell me about the competition?

There is nothing to lose in the competition, everyone is a winner and the benefits are greater then a one week competition.

8. What did MTC really mean for you?

Working hard as a team, using a vast range of skills, simulating day-to-day business.

9. How would you describe MTC in one or two words?

Hectic, Exciting

Visit the WorldSkills Youth Forum website at which Ben was a facilitator. Check out the videos at the bottom of the page.