The very best students and apprentices are setting out on ‘the road to Shanghai’, in an intrepid bid to do the UK proud on the international stage at the next WorldSkills Competition.  Known as the ‘Skills Olympics’, WorldSkills takes place in Shanghai from 22-27 September 2026.  

WorldSkills UK, in partnership with Pearson, the world’s lifelong learning company, has announced that over 80 young people will join its 18-month intensive training programme, with 13 students and apprentices from Scotland joining the squad. After the training programme there will be the final selection for the team which represents the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai in September 2026.  

The 13 students from Scotland include six students from New College Lanarkshire, plus students from North East College Scotland, Glasgow Clyde College and UHI Moray who have gained a place on the intensive programme. 

The WorldSkills competition is considered by global experts as the ultimate test of a nation’s ability to meet future skills needs.  It is attended by government representatives, educationalists and leading employers from across the globe.  

WorldSkills UK uses its participation in the international WorldSkills competition to promote skills excellence across the UK, and by working with education, industry and UK governments it is embedding world class training standards throughout the skills sector.  This is helping to meet the demand for a highly skilled workforce in crucial sectors including engineering, digital, manufacturing and construction.     

It is the first time China has hosted the prestigious WorldSkills competition.  The event will see 1,500 young people travel to Shanghai from over 80 counties to compete in technical skill disciplines from engineering, manufacturing and technology through to creative, digital and hospitality in front of an audience of 250,000 people.   

The UK will be competing in over 30 skills including 3D Digital Game Art, Robot Systems Integration and Renewable Energy.   

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth welcomed the announcement. “Congratulations to everyone that has been selected for the WorldSkills training programme. This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to take their learning to the next stage, whilst getting a potential opportunity to showcase the best Scotland has to offer in skills excellence on the world stage.
 
“Continual skills development is hugely important as we navigate the challenges and opportunities in a rapidly changing world, and the Scottish Government values the work that WorldSkills UK is doing in this area. I have no doubt that this training programme will provide life-changing experiences for all of those selected.”

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “We are so excited to welcome this fantastic group of young technicians on to our international programme. They will be developing the skills that employers are crying out for which will fuel business growth across our economy.  WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 will be bigger than ever before with even higher standards, giving us a vital platform to learn from the very best in the world and bring skills excellence to more young people across the UK.”

Andy Witty, Director of Strategic Policy at Colleges Scotland said: “I warmly welcome the news that 13 students from Scotland’s colleges have secured a highly sought after spot on the UK squad training programme. This is a fantastic achievement and great experience for the students and builds on the Scottish college sector’s track record of success in WorldSkills competitions. I wish the competitors the very best of luck.”

Freya Thomas Monk, Managing Director of Pearson Qualifications said:  “Pearson is proud to sponsor Team UK!   Boosting the profile and prestige of technical and vocational education is incredibly important to us and I wish this talented group of 86 young people from across the country the best of luck as they begin their training programme towards competing in Shanghai.”

Pearson is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Shanghai, following a successful partnership at WorldSkills Lyon in 2024.   

Notes to Editors  

Competitors for Cloud Computing, Logistics & Freight Forwarding and Software Testing will be selected at assessment events held in the coming months.  This is because there isn’t an established WorldSkills UK national competition in these skills, all are currently demo skills. All Squad UK members have previously taken part in WorldSkills UK national competitions.  WorldSkills UK has worked with CITB to select competitors for the following skills:  bricklaying, cabinet making, joinery and painting and decorating.  The competitors all previously competed in SkillBuild, CITB’s national competition programme.