WorldSkills UK

WorldSkills UK’s Mission

Over 75,000 young people have competed in this organisation’s national skills competitions, aiming to raise standards in apprenticeships and technical education.

Hosting WorldSkills UK London 2011

In 2011, London hosted the largest ever competition of its kind – the 42nd WorldSkills event. Over 1000 competitors from 50 countries gathered at ExCeL London to compete in over 45 skills categories.

The medal tally at the week-long event was the highest ever achieved by the UK team, winning 18 medals total including 5 prestigious gold medals. Their outstanding performance highlighted the country’s skills excellence on the global stage.

Hosting and succeeding at the international event also massively increased participation and visibility of competitive skills training among young people nationally. It served as a valuable benchmark for apprenticeship programs and technical education in the country to keep raising their standards.

Impact of these UK Skills Competitions

Industry-led competitions have raised standards in training and allowed businesses to directly influence world-class skills development in the country.

WorldSkills UK Birmingham 2019 Finals

The 2019 finals saw 600 apprentices competing across 60 skills. The 4-day event set the stage for the UK team to prepare for the next WorldSkills international competition.

Eyes on WorldSkills Shanghai 2026

The focus now is to train the UK’s skill champions to compete globally at the 2026 WorldSkills event.