Nikolaj Vadstrup Pedersen

Competitor in Skill: CNC Turning
Country: Denmark

How did you get interested in your skill?
As a little boy, I became interested in engineering and mechanics. Later on I got to visit my uncle’s tool shop and saw the possibilities in CNC machines and it immediately caught my attention.

Where did you do your training for your skill?
I work for Grundfos, a global pump company, who has a great training program for young apprentices. They do a great job in educating young people who wants to challenge themselves. Besides that, I follow a program at a technical school.

How did you first find out about your Member organization and its programs?
I was chosen to represent Grundfos at a skills competition in my first year as an apprentice and I found it fascinating to see so many young people be so great at their skill. Since that, I have chosen to qualify my skills in all possible ways.

Who influenced you to pursue your skill as a career?
A wide range of people has influenced this pursue, both members of my family and different colleagues have encouraged me in my studies and work.

What is your experience in participating with your Member organization?
I have only earned great experiences through my participation with SkillsDenmark. I have found out that it is a thrill to promote education to young people and get a chance to show your work off to a crowd who find it interesting.

Describe your most memorable moment so far with WorldSkills?
I clearly remember the day, I was chosen to represent my country at WorldSkills. My boss gave me the great message, and at first, I was a little choked. Pretty soon I realized that this was the perfect challenge for me.

Describe what your experience has been since your involvement with WorldSkills
A lot of work and a lot of training! You really have to work hard to become an expert in your skill, but also it takes a lot of time to do the other activities that follow with this involvement. Branding, networking and planning, things I did not expect to be involved in has surprised me, but all in a very positive way.

Did participating in the skills competitions and training for WorldSkills help you progress in your skill? Please describe.
I most certainly have, but in two different ways. It has motivated me to work harder and to challenge myself more than I would have. At the same time, it has given me some unique opportunities that have helped me a lot in improving my skill. I have had the chance to work together with some great expert in this field of skills and that has been really rewarding.

What do you currently do? Where do you work?
As mentioned, I work for Grundfos in a department for maintenance. The jobs in this department varies a lot and make the work very interesting.

What are your future career aspirations?
I hope to educate myself in management and economics. I think the combination of technical skills and management is a solid ground for a future career.