WorldSkills UK has announced its squad for the “skills Olympics” in Shanghai in 2021.

The 137 apprentices from across the UK will now join its talent programme to try to secure a coveted place on the team that will represent the UK at the world’s most prestigious skills competition.

The apprentices and students will spend the next 18 months in training on a programme that is fitted around their study and employment commitments before they face the ultimate selection test next year.

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Read on: Let’s get the UK ahead of global competition

News: Scottish colleges top WorldSkills UK medal table

WorldSkills: How we develop a medal-winning mindset

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WorldSkills: the next stage

Harry Jackson, an apprentice with MetalCraft who will be hoping to be selected to represent the UK in welding, said he was “really excited” to have been selected for the next stage of the competition. “I’ve really enjoyed the competitions so far and will be working hard to hone my skills over the next few months to be in with a real chance of selection,” he said.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “As someone whose job is to be an ambassador for this country and the fantastic range of skills and innovation our young people can offer, I’m excited to see another talented group of young people preparing to showcase their skills on the global stage.”

He added that the government was working to improve skills and opportunity across Britain, “either through investment in further education and training, the creation of new T levels, which will be taught from this September, or working hand in hand with industry to create more high-quality apprenticeships”. “That work means the future can only get brighter and I look forward to championing the talent and skills of our young people for many years to come,” said Mr Williamson.

Writing in Tes today, Neil Bentley-Gockmann, WorldSkills UK chief executive, set out the organisation’s ambition over the next decade. He said it would aim to bring back innovation from other leading world economies to the UK to help create a world-class skills system to support economic growth, productivity and competitiveness. It will also strive to mainstream the excellence in teaching, training and assessment that will be experienced by the young people in the WorldSkills UK elite squad announced today.

Mr Bentley-Gockmann said: “It is fantastic to see such a strong squad of young people, all of whom are aiming to represent the UK on the world stage in Shanghai. They will be flying the flag for the UK, demonstrating to the rest of the world that we are developing the high-quality skills needed to help us to trade internationally and attract inward investment across all of the UK to create and maintain jobs. Now, more than ever, we need to invest in excellence in training for the next generation if we are to remain competitive globally and help create a thriving economy.

“Congratulations to all of those on the WorldSkills UK Talent Programme. They really are the high flyers of their generation and should help inspire young people and parents everywhere - turning vocational snobbery on its head - showing that choosing a technical career is a clear route to success in work and life.”

Martin McGuire, WorldSkills UK Scotland director, added: “I am delighted that 17 young people from Scotland have gained a place on the WorldSkills UK Talent Programme that will hopefully see them selected to represent the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai 2021. Their achievements are a great endorsement of the skills system in Scotland. The members of Squad UK are the high flyers of their generation and they have an important role to play in demonstrating that a vocational pathway can lead to success in work and life.”  

The WorldSkills UK squad for Shanghai
 

Competitor   Skill Organisation Jessica Rose Ancill 3D Digital Game Art Birmingham Metropolitan College Ross Findlay 3D Digital Game Art City of Glasgow College  George Hutchison 3D Digital Game Art City of Glasgow College  Erik Geza  Petnehazi 3D Digital Game Art City of Glasgow College  Gareth Jarvis Aircraft Maintenance  British Airways Maintenance Cardiff Ben Simcox Aircraft Maintenance  Raytheon Systems Ltd David Davies Aircraft Maintenance  Raytheon Systems Ltd Ewan Payne Aircraft Maintenance  Royal Air Force Matthew Goddard Aircraft Maintenance  Titan Airways Jordan Cliffe Architectural Stonemasonry Building Crafts College Liam McCauley Architectural Stonemasonry Forth Valley College Owen Gallimore Architectural Stonemasonry Portland Stone Firms Josh Harvey Architectural Stonemasonry Weymouth College James Digger Architectural Stonemasonry York College Graeme Nevin Auto Body Repair Riverpark Training and Development Matthew Sutton Auto Body Repair Training 2000 Limited Harry Chaundy Automobile Technology GTG Training Matthew Bundy Automobile Technology Skillnet Billie Jo McKenzie Automobile Technology South West College  Zara Morgan Beauty Therapy Pembrokeshire College Charlotte Phillips-Poupard Beauty Therapy Pembrokeshire College Holly Mae Cotterall Beauty Therapy Reds Hair Company Kirsty Frazer Beauty Therapy Southern Regional College Chloe Williams Beauty Therapy Weston College Luke Myers Bricklaying Bishop Burton College Darren Houston Building Information Modelling New College Lanarakshire  Minahil Nawasz Building Information Modelling New College Lanarakshire  Connor Patterson Building Information Modelling New College Lanarakshire  Finlay Champion Cabinet Making Chichester College Group James Boyes Cabinet Making Moulton College Jamie Kennard Cabinet Making Parkway Interiors Ltd Josh Jones Car Painting NPTC Group - Pontardawe College Craig Kennedy Car Painting Riverpark Training and Development Aubrey Whiteside Car Painting Riverpark Training and Development Lavanya Hemanth Chemical Laboratory Technology Middlesex University Lewis Dymock Chemical Laboratory Technology New College Lanarakshire  Adam Purvis Chemical Laboratory Technology Southern Regional College Abigail Stansfield CNC Milling BAE Systems Carwyn Roberts CNC Milling Coleg Cambria Joel Keen CNC Milling Rolls-Royce Plc Arron Orr CNC Turning Fort Vale Engineering Kieran McShane Construction Metal Work Burnley College Balveen Nota Construction Metal Work Dudley College Celt John Cooking Coleg Ceredigion Chloe Lloyd-Hughes Cooking North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College Sam Everton Cooking Pembrokeshire College Ashleigh Hellowell Cooking Royal Garden Hotel Danny Bunphaung Cooking South Eastern Regional College Steven Megaw Cooking Southern Regional College Cameron McKnight Cyber Security Belfast Metropolitan College Stefan Bargan Cyber Security Walsall College Luke Jowett Cyber Security Walsall College Alex Rendall Electrical Installation Bridgwater and Taunton College Thomas Williamson Electrical Installation Coleg Cambria Benjamin Martin Electrical Installation Nesbitt Electrical Installation Ben Kidner Electrical Installation Rogers Restorations Ltd Erjon Berisha Electronics Belfast Metropolitan College Liam Hughes Electronics Gower College Swansea Ben Lewis Electronics Gower College Swansea Rhys Watts Electronics Gower College Swansea Nathan  Evans Electronics Gower College Swansea Clara Agnew Floristry CAFRE Hannah Beckley Floristry Warwickshire College - Moreton Morrell College Shane Powell Hairdressing Coleg Gwent Phoebe McLavy Hairdressing Coleg Sir Gar Menna Williams Hairdressing Coleg Sir Gar Ellie Mumby Hairdressing Grimsby institue Bayley Harris Hairdressing Hyfforddiant Ceredigion Training Erica Czerny Hairdressing Strode College Molly Lawton Health and Social Care Pembrokeshire College Morgan McNeil IT Network Systems Administration Cardiff and Vale College Samuel Miller IT Network Systems Administration City of Glasgow College  Ben Beckett IT Network Systems Administration North East Surrey College of Technology Isaac George IT Network Systems Administration North East Surrey College of Technology Madeline Rowe Jewellery London Artworks Martina Grumitt Jewellery M A Griffin George Schenbri Jewellery The Goldsmiths’ Company Harry Colgrave Joinery Exeter College - Construction Training Centre Ross Fiori Joinery NCG Carlisle College Alex Howe Joinery West Suffolk College Nick Bundy Landscape Gardening Gadd Brothers Trees and Landscapes Jack Hodgkinson Landscape Gardening Myerscough College Harry Funnell Landscape Gardening Myerscough College Jack Hinks Landscape Gardening Myerscough College Charles Samson Manufacturing Team Challenge Magellan Aerospace (UK) Ltd Chloe Millington Manufacturing Team Challenge Ricoh UK Products Ltd Thomas Mills Manufacturing Team Challenge Ricoh UK Products Ltd Belinda Nightingale Manufacturing Team Challenge Ricoh UK Products Ltd Ryan Lee Manufacturing Team Challenge Shrewsbury Colleges Group Harry Maddox Manufacturing Team Challenge Shrewsbury Colleges Group Thomas Moule Manufacturing Team Challenge Shrewsbury Colleges Group Jack Bateson Mechanical Engineering CAD BAE Systems Lewis Batchelor Mechanical Engineering CAD New College Lanarakshire  Neil Donnolly Mechanical Engineering CAD New College Lanarakshire  Liam Whitby Mechatronics Hydro Extrusion  Joe Austins Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd David Fryer-Winder Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Will  Gale Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Oliver Shimwell Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Josh Sibley Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Dan Slaney Mechatronics Toyota Manufacturing Ltd Bradley Ellison Mechatronics UTC Sheffield Paul Hayter Mechatronics UTC Sheffield Kamil Zmich Mechatronics UTC Sheffield Lewis Boyle Painting and Decorating Leeds College of Building Bridie Kilby Painting and Decorating Leicester College Thomas Nowell Painting and Decorating Truro and Penwith College Isabella Skipp Patisserie and Confectionary Havant and South Downs College Connor Stow Patisserie and Confectionary Hull College Katie Graham Patisserie and Confectionary South Eastern Regional College Ben Metcalfe Patisserie and Confectionary Trafford College group Altrincham campus Kalem Kerrigan Plastering and Drywall Systems Errigal Contracts Brendan Duddy Plastering and Drywall Systems North West Regional College  Connor Cruden Plumbing and Heating Moray College Samuel Henderson Plumbing and Heating Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation Jack Newton Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Crowther and Shaw LTD Dominic Dray Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Eastleigh College Chloe Holliday Restaurant Service Brockenhurst College Simona Federova Restaurant Service City of Glasgow College  Emily  Jones  Restaurant Service Coleg Cambria Hedydd Davies Restaurant Service Coleg Ceredigion Paulina Skoczek Restaurant Service Gower College Swansea Donna Blainey Visual Merchandising City of Glasgow College  Saskia Godley Visual Merchandising North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College  Ellie Ruff Visual Merchandising South Leicestershire College Morgan Swift Wall and Floor Tiling City of Glasgow College  Andrew Mcdonald Wall and Floor Tiling Leeds College of Building Dylan Calvert Wall and Floor Tiling Southern Regional College Odhran Connolly Wall and Floor Tiling Southern Regional College Dylan Gillanders Wall and Floor Tiling Southern Regional College Jack Day Web Technologies Highbury College, Portsmouth Lewis Newton Web Technologies Highbury College, Portsmouth Zack Evans Web Technologies NPTC Group - Neath College Thomas Griffin Web Technologies Weston College Danny Hills Welding Lakes College West Cumbria Morgan Roberts Welding Lakes College West Cumbria Harry Jackson Welding Stainless Metalcraft Ltd