LEESBURG, Va. — Ethan Harrison, of Blackfoot, Idaho, will represent the United States in Cabinetmaking at the biennial WorldSkills Competition in Kazan, Russia. Harrison will compete as a member of the WorldSkills USA team at the 45th international event will be held Aug. 22-27, 2019.

Harrison was inspired by a wood drafting class he took in middle school. He enrolled in cabinetmaking as a sophomore in high school and discovered his talent for the craft. His instructor, Peter Golinveaux, was the first to notice potential.

“I would never have pursued this had my instructor not expressed his confidence in my skills,” Harrison said. “As I worked, I developed a passion for woodworking and have tried to build my skills ever since.

Harrison’s dream is to own and operate a furniture shop that builds one-of-a-kind pieces of heirloom quality. In order to accomplish this, he plans to attend college and obtain a degree in business. “I love the feeling of taking something simple and ordinary, and using my hands to build and create something beautiful,” he said.

Every two years, WorldSkills hosts the world championships of skills, which attracts more than 1,600 competitors from more than 76 countries and regions around the world to compete in more than 50 different trade skills. Considered the best in the world at each trade skill, contestants compete before the public for four days in contests that are run and judged by industry using demanding international standards. They represent the best students from each nation and many are highly trained by their sponsoring country.

There are 22 members on the WorldSkills USA team, with an average age of 19. Other occupational areas in which the United States plans to compete include aircraft maintenance, autobody repair, automobile technology, bakery, bricklaying, car painting, cnc milling, cooking, cyber security, graphic design, hairdressing, heavy vehicle maintenance, mechanical engineering cad, mechatronics, plumbing and heating, print media, restaurant service, web technologies and welding.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators, public policymakers, employers, teachers, trainers, technical experts and government officials from around the world will attend this competition. The event will be held at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre. For more information about the competition, go to: https://worldskills2019.com/en