October 2026
Behind every medal is a story of talent, expert teaching and training, and partnerships that help young people achieve their potential.
Team UK has plenty to celebrate after an outstanding performance at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, often described as the Skills Olympics. Bringing together young professionals from around the world to showcase their vocational expertise, this global competition celebrates the highest standards of technical skills and excellence.
Team UK’s 28 competitors entered 25 skill categories, securing two gold medals, one silver, three bronze and 13 Medals for Excellence – its strongest performance since 2017, with medal recognition in 21 of the 25 categories entered.
But behind every achievement is a wider team: the teachers, trainers, assessors, employers, and training managers who develop talent, refine performance, and prepare competitors to compete on the global stage. Further education colleges are central to this success, demonstrating the impact of industry-relevant curricula, expert teaching and ambitious, practical learning.
Colleges making excellence happen
Southern Regional College (SERC) exemplifies this contribution. Ruth Douglas won gold in Chemical Laboratory Technology, while fellow college competitor Oisin McKerr secured bronze in Car Painting. Other college competitors also achieved Medals for Excellence – demonstrating the strength of the teaching, training and competition preparation taking place across the college.
Gower College Swansea is another inspiring example, with success at Skills Competition Wales and expertise that reaches beyond its own learners. Steve Williams, Curriculum Leader for Electronics and Engineering at the college also contributed to WorldSkills Shanghai as a Skills Competition Manager, highlighting the vital role of experienced UK skills professionals in supporting the international competition.
These achievements remind us that world-class skills are built long before competitors reach the competition floor – in workshops, laboratories, and classrooms, through the dedication of educators and the expertise of industry.
Sharing skills excellence across borders
Through the British Council’s TVET International Skills Partnerships (ISPs), this expertise can inspire improvement internationally. SERC has shared expertise, including approaches to women’s leadership and skills excellence, with South African partners. Gower College Swansea has also shared competition pedagogy to include pressure testing and effective practice with Ghanaian partners.
These partnerships enable teachers and trainers to exchange ideas on industry relevant curriculum development, teaching, assessment, and raising standards, adapting approaches to their own contexts and improving learning outcomes.
Just as importantly, they help young people see what is possible. When learners see people like themselves achieving excellence, they can begin to imagine their own futures differently – aspiring to master technical skills, become industry experts and for some, to represent their country in international competitions.
After each international competition the WorldSkills Occupational Standards are updated to enable international benchmarking to raise standards and champion future skills.
More than medals
Team UK’s success in Shanghai is a celebration of young people’s talent and the teachers, trainers, colleges, employers, and WorldSkills UK training managers who help them thrive.
It also demonstrates the value of international collaboration: sharing what works, strengthening teaching and learning, and creating opportunities for more young people to succeed.
The real gold standard is not just winning medals. It is inspiring ambition, developing world-class skills and opening doors to opportunity – wherever in the world young people learn.
