Olivia Macmillan from Ross-on-Wye, has battled against the best hairdressers in the country to win a place on the UK team for WorldSkills 2003, a four-day Olympic style event being held in Switzerland.
Olivia will now compete against young people from across the globe for a chance to become the best in the world at her trade.
Olivia is one of 30 elite young people from across the country who will compete in a wide range of skills, all hoping to show that the UK is continuing to develop world class standards in business, services and industry.
Competing in the hairdressing competition, she was delighted to have been chosen to compete.
"It is a real honour to be given the chance to demonstrate my skills against the very best from across the world. The competition will be a fantastic opportunity and the whole team are all excited and determined to put in our best efforts."
The event, which is held every two years, will take place at St Gallen on 19-22 June 2003, and is expected to attract over 700 competitors from 36 countries.
It will be the 37th competition since the event started. The youngsters, from across the UK, have all been selected as the best in their field with many winning national skills competitions.
Linda Ammon, chief executive of UK Skills, who manage the UK team said: "All these young people have proven themselves as exceptionally skilled in their fields, and are proof of the marvellous opportunities and prospects available for those who invest in vocational skills."
For the first time, all UK competitors will work towards a Senior City and Guilds qualification, the Licentiateship. UK Skills has delegated authority to assess the competitors for this award, being one of the first non-academic bodies to be given this honour.