20-year-old Shane Dunleavy, an apprentice mechanic with S&R Motors in Donegal town, has been awarded the Ford Safety Award at this year’s National Skills Competition held at the Dublin Institute of Technology.

 
Shane’s award was in recognition of the safe practices he demonstrated in completing the tasks set in the competition. Bill Noonan, Customer Service Director with Ford Ireland, commented: “We’re constantly seeking to raise standards in our service division, and clearly, improving skill levels is among the most important aspects of this. Safety, in turn, is an integral part of such skills, so Ford is delighted to support this award.”
 
The National Skills Competition saw apprentices from all over Ireland compete over two and a half days to be the national champion in their chosen trade.
 
The top contestants go forward every two years to World Skills, where Ireland has claimed the gold medal for car mechanics on 3 of the last 4 occasions. The event takes place next year in London.