Northern Ireland students bring home WorldSkills gold and bronze from Shanghai
Northern Ireland WorldSkills 2026 competitors have returned from Shanghai with a gold medal, bronze medal and five Medallions for Excellence.
Students and apprentices representing Southern Regional College, South West College and Riverpark Training competed against some of the world’s leading young skilled professionals at the international event, often described as the “Skills Olympics”.
Around 1,400 competitors from more than 70 nations took part in WorldSkills 2026 as Northern Ireland’s representatives competed as part of Team UK.
Banbridge student crowned world champion
Ruth Douglas from Banbridge secured Northern Ireland’s standout result, winning gold in Chemical Laboratory Technology and being crowned world champion in her discipline.
Ruth works at Almac and attends Southern Regional College.
There was further medal success for Oisin McKerr from Lurgan, who won bronze in Car Painting.
Oisin works for Porters Body Shop and also attends Southern Regional College.
Their results were accompanied by five Medallions for Excellence, awarded to competitors who demonstrated a world-class standard in their respective skills.
Five more world-class performances
Andrew McCann from Aughnacloy received a Medallion for Excellence in Plumbing and Heating. He works for AMC Plumbing & Heating and attends South West College.
Ballymena competitor Joe Wilton, who works for SDM Paintwork and attends Riverpark Training, received recognition in Autobody Repair.
Jonathan Gough from Waringstown achieved a Medallion for Excellence in Electrical Installation. He is self-employed and attends Southern Regional College.
Caolan McCartan from Newry and Patrick Sheerin from Portadown were also recognised for their performance in Industry 4.0. Both attend Southern Regional College, with Patrick working for AJ Power.
Minister praises ‘outstanding result’
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald congratulated the competitors following their success in Shanghai.
Credit: Department for the Economy
She said the results demonstrated that Northern Ireland had the talent and skills required to compete against the best in the world.
The Minister described returning with gold, bronze and five Medallions for Excellence as an outstanding achievement and said every competitor should be proud of their performance.
She also said their success reflected the quality of Northern Ireland’s further education colleges, training providers and employers.
Developing world-class skills, she added, has an important role in creating good jobs, increasing productivity and strengthening the economy.
Spotlight on further education and apprenticeships
The results provide an international showcase for vocational education and apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.
Competitors combined education and specialist training with employment across sectors including science, automotive repair, plumbing, electrical installation and advanced manufacturing.
Their success comes as the Department for the Economy continues to emphasise skills development as part of its economic strategy.
The WorldSkills competition gives young people an opportunity to demonstrate technical skills against international standards while also highlighting career routes available through further education and apprenticeships.
For Northern Ireland’s competitors, Shanghai resulted in seven international awards — including a new world champion.
Further information: Department for the Economy – Northern Ireland further education talent shines on world stage.