A 19-year-old catering student from Cardigan has won a gold medal in the final of a national skills competition.

Backed by the Welsh Government through the European Social Fund, Skills Competition Wales is a series of events held in colleges across the country, designed to celebrate vocational skills and create talented employees for the Welsh workforce.

Hedydd Davies, 19, who is currently studying for a level 3 catering and hospitality NVQ at Coleg Ceredigion, competed against eight other students from across Wales in a series of restaurant service challenges.

The competitors were tasked with displaying their restaurant skills, which included napkin folding, laying a themed table for two and creating a non-alcoholic cocktail, as well as creating a dessert flambée.

Hedydd said: "As part of my course, we work in the college canteen one day a week, and I also work at a restaurant on the weekends.

“Although I was nervous to begin with, my experiences of cooking for people and having to deal with the pressure really helped me focus for the competition.

"Once I’ve finished this year in college, I’ve got a job already lined up in a restaurant that’s just opened in Aberteifi. I’m really excited to start working.

"My dream would be to go into the cake decorating business. My mum does some cake decorating, and I think watching her over the years, as well as my grandmother, who loves cooking, has definitely inspired me."

More than 50 competitions are taking place this year, across a wide range of different vocations from bricklaying and hairdressing to aeronautical engineering and culinary art.

The successful youngsters may then go on to be shortlisted for the UK Squad, competing against the world’s most talented young people at the EuroSkills competition in Austria, in 2020, or the WorldSkills international final in Shanghai in 2021.

Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning, Eluned Morgan said: “Competitions like these are essential for establishing transferable skills for the future, and allow young people at the start of their careers to flourish.

“They provide individuals from Wales with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills as well as the chance to go further and compete on a national or even international level.

“I would like to congratulate Hedydd on her brilliant achievement and wish her the best of luck in the next stage of the competition and I look forward to seeing her prosper in her future career.”