Darren Quille, apprentice technician at The Crossings, Main Peugeot Dealers in Naas, has struck gold at the National Skills Championships for Automotive Technology. The 21-year old Peugeot apprentice took home the Irish Gold Medal after beating seven of his Irish peers at the Grand Final and is now in with a chance of competing in the 2009 World Skills Final, later this year, in Canada, pending an interview with the Department of Education.

Speaking at an award ceremony held by Gowan Distributors, Peugeot Importers in Ireland, Darren said, \"I am delighted with the awards. It was certainly hard work during the practical exams when I worked on two cars, a Peugeot 206 GTi non-start and a Peugeot 308 charging system.”

The World Skills Competition takes place every two years, gathering together hundreds of young skilled people from various trades to compete against each other and benchmark themselves against international standards. They represent the best of their peers drawn from regional and national skill competitions held currently in 42 countries.

In 2005 Ross Wasson, an automobile technology apprentice at McGinley Motors, Main Peugeot Dealers Donegal, took home the gold medal in Automotive Technology at the World Skills Competition in Helsinki.