UK skills champions have secured their best WorldSkills haul in over a decade earning 19 medals, including two gold, one silver and three bronze medals. Three quarters of Team UK, the nation’s brightest young apprentices and professionals, picked up medals at the WorldSkills closing ceremony at the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Centre this evening. In addition to the six podium medals, a further 13 medals for excellence were awarded to UK competitors who have achieved world-class standards in their skill. This evening, family, friends, trainers, and officials cheered for Team UK’s performance as they discovered who amongst the 1,400 young people came out on top as the world’s best in 64 trades. The UK’s 28 young professionals have spent the last four days fighting off fierce competition against their peers, following months and years of intense training. The stellar achievement marks the UK’s best performance in a decade. Team UK scored a total 30 medal points, which assigns four points for every gold medal, three points for silver, two for bronze, and one for medals for excellence. It marks the best score since WorldSkills Abu Dhabi in 2017, when the team scored 32 medal points. Ruth Douglas wins gold for chemical laboratory technology Overall, the UK ranked 12th out of the 68 countries participating in Shanghai, according to total medal points. The team also ranked 7th in terms of average points scored. The team has improved on their performance from the last WorldSkills event in France two years ago when Team UK scooped three silver, one bronze and 12 medals for excellence. “This is a terrific set of results which everyone in the UK should be proud of,” said Ben Blackledge, CEO of WorldSkills UK. He added: “Each and every one of the team has put in a phenomenal effort – not just this week, but the three years that they have been in the process, competing, learning and evolving their skills throughout the process.” Skills minister Jacqui Smith, who flew to China to cheer on the team said: “I couldn’t be prouder of Team UK. They have all worked so hard and been brilliant, just to get here.” Gold standard performance The UK achieved six podium positions. Two gold medals were awarded to chemical laboratory technician Ruth Douglas and refrigeration and air conditioning competitor Sam Jones. Douglas, who works at Almac and is trained at Southern Regional College in Northern Ireland, said the opening ceremony “boosted” her confidence for the rest of the week. Refrigeration and air conditioning competitor Samuel Jones wins gold Douglas and Jones told FE Week earlier this week that they had every assurance in themselves to problem-solve difficult tasks they were thrown during the competition. Jones said after his first day he had a “positive” mindset for the rest of the contest after tackling an air-to-water heat pump installation task, something he had not encountered frequently in his training. The ceremony also saw Jones awarded the ‘Best in Nation’ prize for refrigeration and air conditioning. This award commends the one competitor from each country who achieves the most points in their national team. A silver medal was won by aircraft maintenance competitor Elyot Harmston, 23, from Biggleswade in Bedfordshire. Harmston led Team UK into the arena as its flagbearer at the opening ceremony. Silver medallist in aircraft maintenance Elyot Harmston Bronze medals went to car painting competitor Oisin McKerr, beauty therapist Neve Dunn and additive manufacturing participant Oliver Coombs. This year is the first UK entry into the beauty therapy competition since 2019, when Rebecca West brought home a gold medal. Beauty therapy competitor Neve Dunn wins bronze Goodbye Shanghai and hello Aichi The closing ceremony kicked off immediately with the medal ceremony, awarding gold, silver and bronze medals to winners from participating countries. Car painter Oisin McKerr admires his bronze medal Zhu Zhongming, mayor of Shanghai and deputy secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, said this year’s competition was an “unprecedented” event after President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the 1,400 competitors at the opening ceremony. “Over the past six days, young skilled talents from 68 countries and regions gathered in Shanghai to put their skills against the best and showcase their mastery on the stage of the WorldSkills competition,” he said. “They vividly demonstrated the spirit of craftmanship and the pursuit of excellence, inspiring young people everywhere to realise their dreams and build a brilliant life through the power of skills. WorldSkills Shanghai is a grand celebration of youth, friendship and solidarity,” he added. During the event, China made the official handover of the WorldSkills flag from to Japan, who will host the next global event in Aichi in 2028. A world-class effort A further 13 skills saw Team UK competitors achieve the standard required for a medal for excellence. Oliver Coombs celebrates bronze for additive manufacturing The medal is awarded to every competitor who achieves 700 points in their skill, the global benchmark recognised for performing to a world-class standard. They included the mechatronics team from Toyota UK Liz Hopkinson and Emily Bettridge, CNC milling’s Tomas Ankers and plumbing and heating competitor Andrew McCann. McCann told FE Week in the moments after the klaxon signalled the end of the competition, that he was hopeful that he would do “relatively well” during the medal’s ceremony. See the full list of medal for excellence winners below: Mechatronics: Liz Hopkinson and Emily Bettridge CNC Milling: Tomas Ankers Plumbing & Heating: Andrew McCann Autobody Repair: Joe Wilton Web Technologies: Finn Gallagher Electrical Installation: Jonathan Gough Bricklaying: Joseph Shingler Painting & Decorating: Shelby Fitzakerly Hairdressing: Katie Sime IT Network Systems Administration: Charlie Priestley Industry 4.0: Caolan McCartan and Patrick Sheerin 3D Digital Game Art: Logan Cook Renewable Energy: Madeleine Warburton