Vlog-master Jacob chosen to tell the WorldSkills story after winning #SkillsForAll video contest

A two-minute video focusing on dunes, dreams, and dedication to design has led to a student from New Zealand being selected as the official vlogger for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

Jacob Dawson’s light-hearted but inspiring video – in which he outlines how a devotion to hard work and pursuing his ambitions is now seeing him reap the rewards of perfecting a skill – was selected as the winner of the #SkillsForAll World Youth Day social media competition, and means he will now chronicle the human stories behind the world championships of skills this October in the United Arab Emirates.

Entrants from 24 countries submitted 70 videos, showcasing their creative talents and vision, for the competition, with Jacob’s entertaining and humorous video – opening with him hurtling down a sand dune in slow motion and explaining how his childhood dream was to be a stuntman, before changing his path to concentrate on production design – emerging victorious.

He will now go behind the scenes at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 as its official vlogger, capturing the essence of what it takes to stage the event and telling the stories of the people who make it happen.

Explaining the concept behind his winning video, Jacob said, “When it comes to content, we appreciate two things – humour, and storytelling.”

“We all love a good story, and we all like to laugh. Whether you are developing content for a new product release, a scientific discovery, or just plain advertising, it can always be improved by telling it as a story or adding in some humour. With my entry, I tried to tell my personal story and add in a bit of slapstick, through the shot of me tumbling down a sand dune at the beginning of the video.”

Becoming WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017’s Vlogger has left Jacob “over the moon”, as he says, “It’s a lot like the feeling you get the night before Christmas as kid.”

“As I’m already a vlogger, I felt I stood a good chance of being considered, but I never really thought I would win. I’m looking forward to going to Abu Dhabi so much, and I can’t wait to tell the WorldSkills story.”

WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 is the 44th edition of the Competition, which will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 14-19 October - the first time the world championship of skills has been staged in the Middle East.

One of the largest and most complex events to be hosted in the UAE capital, the Competition will see more than 1,200 Competitors compete in 51 skills, ranging from Floristry to Mobile Robotics to Welding.

You can watch Jacob’s winning entry at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12law9jaTOY&feature=youtu.be