Team UK has been officially announced for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, the international competition known as the “Skills Olympics,” where the world’s most talented apprentices and young professionals go head-to-head in a high-stakes battle of skill, precision and innovation.
Representing the UK in engineering will be:
- Tomas Ankers, aged 18, will compete in CNC Milling. He studied at Coleg Cambria and is an apprentice at Electroimpact in Wales.
- Madeleine Warburton aged 20 from Leicestershire will compete in Renewable Energy. Madeleine studied at Grwp Llandrillo Menai and is an apprentice with RWE.
- Emily Bettridge, aged 23, and Liz Hopkinson, 23, will compete in Mechatronics. Emily and Liz are both apprentices with Toyota Manufacturing UK.
- Oliver Coombs, aged 20, will compete in Additive Manufacturing. He studied at Bath College and works at BIMTek.
- Caolan McCartan, aged 24, and Patrick Sheerin, aged 24, will compete in Industry 4.0. Both studied at Southern Regional College, Northern Ireland and Patrick works at A J Power.
- Stuart Lyons from Hamilton, aged 21, will compete in Mechanical Engineering CAD. Stuart studied at New College Lanarkshire and works at Glacier Energy.
- Elyot Harmston, aged 23, will compete in Aircraft Maintenance. Elyot works at The Shuttleworth Collection.
- Ruth Douglas, aged 21, will compete in Chemical Laboratory Technician. Ruth trains at Southern Regional College and works at Almac, Northern Ireland.
- Jonathan Gough, aged 22, will compete in Electrical Installation. Jonathan from Northern Ireland trained at Southern Regional College and runs his own business.
Selected, mentored and trained by WorldSkills UK, Team UK brings together a group of 26 competitors at the very top of their fields. These individuals are among the most highly skilled young professionals anywhere in the world. Competing against the best from over 80 countries, Team UK will showcase world-class expertise across a diverse range of disciplines. Each competition is a high-performance test of precision and endurance.
WorldSkills is globally recognised as the ultimate benchmark of skills excellence, where nations go head-to-head to prove their ability to power future industries and economic growth. This year’s event in Shanghai is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors, alongside government leaders, global employers and education experts.
Pearson, the lifelong learning company, is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK, said:
“WorldSkills Shanghai brings together the world’s best young talent to compete against the highest international standards, giving the UK a powerful global platform to showcase its skills excellence.
“At a time when employers are sceptical about employing young people Team UK show just how important it is to have young professionals in the workforce. These young technicians have an incredibly valuable mix of world-class technical skills, impressive employability skills and a mindset to succeed. If we are serious about tackling the NEET challenge, we need to get more young people ready for work, and skills competitions are a proven way to improve engagement in training and work readiness.”
Tomas Ankers, who will compete in CNC Milling, said:
“It hasn’t fully sunk in yet; I don’t think I can describe what it feels like to be told I’ve made Team UK. I know everyone at Electroimpact will be over the moon. WorldSkills UK Competitions have been such an important part of my journey; it helped me secure my apprenticeship with them by giving me the experience and confidence to stand out in my interview and it’s an amazing feeling to now be continuing that journey all the way to China.”
Freya Thomas Monk, Managing Director of Pearson Qualifications, said:
“Every member of Team UK has earned their place through exceptional dedication and commitment to their chosen fields, representing the very best of our nation’s talent. WorldSkills Shanghai is an opportunity to celebrate their vocational and technical expertise, and the skill, determination, and ambition it takes to set new benchmarks for excellence on the global stage. Pearson is proud to support Team UK as they take on this extraordinary challenge and inspire future generations to aim high and believe in their potential.”
WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 takes place from 22-27 September and will feature around 1,500 young people taking part from over 80 countries.
