Jonathan off to Brazil for World Skills dream finals

Jonathan off to Brazil for World Skills dream finals

10 June 2015

SAINTFIELD’S Jonathan Gill is heading to Brazil later this summer to take part in the World Skills finals.

The landscape gardener, currently working in the stunning grounds of a Hillsborough Castle, is employed by Historic Royal Palaces and studied a four year horticulture course at the College of Food and Rural Enterprise.

The 21 year old — who also runs his own landscaping business when he isn’t working in Hillsborough — recently won his category in the final of the UK Skills competition held in Nottingham and will be packing his bags for Sao Paulo in August.

Jonathan was delighted to win the UK final and can’t wait to head for South America in a few months’ time as part of a two-man team alongside Matthew Beasley from Cheshire.

And while he admits many will view his Brazilian experience as a “trip of a lifetime,” Jonathan says there will be a lot of hard work to impress the international judges during the world finals held every two years. 

The competition is the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event of its kind and Jonathan and his peers must demonstrate their unique skills and technical abilities to execute specific tasks.

Jonathan is delighted he is heading for Brazil having just missed out on a place at the last World Skills final held in Germany in 2013. 

“It was very disappointing to miss out on the Germany trip having qualified for the UK final two years ago. However, I was delighted to be given a wild card entry into the UK round of the competition last year and make it to the final which I won recently,” he explained.

Jonathan will be up against competitors from 22 other nations at the world finals and intends to hone his skills ahead of the August event which will include six weeks working with Matthew at Greenmount as they prepare to take on the world.

The Saintfield man has his heart set on a gold medal, but admits a medal of any deion would be a great result given the stiff competition he faces.

“All the finalists are asked to deliver a garden design featuring decking, paving, dry stone walling, woodwork and water features and planting. We are all given the same materials and a design and once we have completed our task in the allotted 22 hours over four days, it will be up to the judges to decide the winners. Matthew and I are under no illusion about the challenge we face, but it is one we are looking forward to.

“The trip will be anything but a holiday. It is about hard work and coming up with a finished garden design that impresses the judges most.”

Jonathan admits he has “made sacrifices” to get so far in the UK competition and won’t be sitting back content that he has made the world finals.

“The competition requires a lot of technical woodworking skills and this is something I will be focusing on during my preparation for the finals. I am fortunate that working in my own business I would use these skills and build dry stone walls which is good because it allows you to maintain your skill levels.

“I have an area at home where I design show gardens and while busy at work, a lot of attention is being devoted to the trip to Brazil. The next 12 weeks are going to be particularly intensive for Matthew and I. We really hope to do well,” admitted Jonathan.

He continued: “This is my first summer running my business full time and the fact that I am busy and active is great preparation for the final. Matthew and I are determined to do well and we hope our preparation work will be rewarded.

“The competition will no doubt be intense, but this is a world final we are talking about. There will be competitors from 22 other countries who will also be hoping to win.”

Jonathan’s many skills and talents have taken him to many events including the RHS Flower Show in Manchester’s Tatton Park where he won awards as part of a training team which constructed four show gardens.

Now the hugely talented Saintfield landscape gardener is preparing to display his skills on the world stage as part of the UK team and is determined to do well.