The very best students and apprentices are setting out on ‘the road to Shanghai’, in an intrepid bid to make the UK proud on the international stage at the next WorldSkills Competition. Known as the ‘skills olympics’, it will be held 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 the aim of being selected for the team that will represent the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai in September 2026.
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 1500 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.
The UK will be competing in over 30 skills at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, including 3D Digital Game Art, Robot Systems Integration and Renewable Energy.
UVAC is immensely proud to be WorldSkillsUK‘s first ever higher education partner and together, WorldSkills UK and UVAC are ensuring that more young people, right across the UK, can access world-class training through WorldSkills UK’s competition-based training programmes.
