Oxford RAF apprentice to represent UK at 'Skills Olympics'

Ewan Payne, 22, has been training for the event since January 2020

An RAF apprentice aircraft engineer has been picked to represent the UK at this year's "Skills Olympics" in China.

More than 80 countries will compete at the games, with events ranging from brick-laying to cyber security.

Ewan Payne, from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, will be competing to be crowned the world's best in the aircraft maintenance competition.

The 22-year-old is part of a 39-strong team hoping to get the UK back into the global top 10 at the Shanghai games.

The team finished 12th at the 2019 event in Kazan, Russia.

'Ecstatic'

The WorldSkills competition, which is designed to promote excellence in apprentices, will take place in China between 13 and 16 October.

Preparation for the international competition is normally a two-year programme, but the global pandemic forced the event, originally scheduled for 2021, to be pushed back a year.

Having triumphed in regional and national competitions, Mr Payne has been training since January 2020 and was amazed to have been selected.

He said: "I was ecstatic when I found out, it made my day - and my year.

"I can't wait to get out to China and experience the atmosphere of international competition."