In a stellar performance, the Turriff native walked away with the Medallion for Excellence, coming within a whisker of out-flanking the world’s elite in the Black Forest town of Lahr.

Connor, who came top in 2019 at the SkillPLUMB UK finals to find the country’s most accomplished apprentice, ended the day ranking as 7th best in the World, sitting just 13 points away from the eventual gold medal winner, from Austria.

The competition, which was originally scheduled to take place last year in Shanghai, was relocated to Germany because of Chinese Covid-19 restrictions. It was held under the auspices of Grohe, the German plumbing fixtures manufacturer, and involved participants from 20 countries, including three observers from Ukraine.

Connor, who works for local business Cowie Plumbing & Heating, said: “What a fantastic event. It stretched over three days and we were thrown straight into the thick of it with challenges including installing a bathroom and waste water pipes.

“It was 19.5 hours of intense competition, at a really high standard, and, after Day 2, I was in the lead. I was ahead of the pack – but on the final day I made a couple of stupid mistakes. I knew as soon as it happened and it cost me the points that could have brought me a Gold.

“I had trained hard and I entered the contest confidently. I would like to thank SNIPEF [Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation] for all the help, assistance and encouragement they provided to get me to this point – and also for a very generous, and very unexpected, financial consideration they gave me to mark my effort.”

Connor, who was coached by Newry-based Ronnie Ferris, had support in the international crowd from his Aberdeenshire farmer parents Iain and Fiona, his employer Garry Cowie, his Moray College lecturer Jim Mackinnon, SNIPEF colleagues and friends.

Garry Cowie said: “This is a great moment for Connor. He has taken on the world and acquitted himself honourably. Not many would have been able to show his cool professionalism. He is now an extremely talented craftsman and I am sure that he has a glittering career ahead of him.”

Dale Thomson, training manager at SNIPEF Training Services, said: “We are all very proud of Connor and his achievements at the WorldSkills final in Germany. Receiving a Medallion for Excellence is an outstanding feat, and Connor performed fantastically and gave it his all.

“He is an excellent ambassador for the plumbing and heating industry, and is an example to anyone considering a career in our industry.”

Supported by SNIPEF and the charity arm of the BPEC Group, the WorldSkills competition enables talented apprentices to showcase their skills and knowledge of best plumbing practice, and is designed to promote standards and skills across the global plumbing industry by celebrating excellence.

Under close inspection and scoring by industry experts, competing apprentices are given previously unseen detailed drawings from which they must devise practical plumbing solutions. The piece of work they then produce, typically air-tight or water-tight, must be accurate to the most demanding tolerances.

Full results of the competition are available here.