Northern Ireland’s further education students have delivered a standout performance at the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai, bringing home a gold medal, a bronze medal and five Medals for Excellence from what is widely regarded as the “Skills Olympics.” The results mark a significant achievement for the region’s technical and vocational training sector, though questions remain about how these competitors were selected and how Northern Ireland’s performance compares historically.
The seven medallists, representing Southern Regional College, South West College and Riverpark Training, competed against 1,400 young professionals from more than 70 nations at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, held from 22–27 September 2026.
Gold and Bronze for Southern Regional College
Ruth Douglas, a 22-year-old from Banbridge studying at Southern Regional College, was crowned world champion in Chemical Laboratory Technology. Douglas, who works at Almac Group and completed a Foundation Degree in Applied Industrial Sciences before progressing to a Pharmaceutical Sciences degree at Ulster University, took the top spot after winning gold at the UK national competition in 2024.
Oisin McKerr, 22, from Lurgan, secured bronze in Car Painting. McKerr, who works for Porters Body Shop and previously won gold at the IMI Skills Competitions in 2023, claimed one of only three bronze medals won by Team UK across the entire competition.
Five Medals for Excellence Recognise World-Class Standards
Five additional Northern Ireland competitors received Medals for Excellence — an award given to those who score 700 points or more but do not reach the podium. Unlike gold, silver and bronze medals, which are awarded based on relative ranking, Medals for Excellence recognise that a competitor has met a fixed international benchmark of world-class performance regardless of where they placed against others.
The recipients were:
- Andrew McCann, from Aughnacloy, in Plumbing & Heating (South West College, employed by AMC Plumbing & Heating)
- Joe Wilton, from Ballymena, in Autobody Repair (Riverpark Training, employed by SDM Paintwork)
- Jonathan Gough, from Waringstown, in Electrical Installation (Southern Regional College, self-employed)
- Caolan McCartan, from Newry, in Industry 4.0 (Southern Regional College, training with Pronto Engineering)
- Patrick Sheerin, from Portadown, in Industry 4.0 (Southern Regional College, employed by AJ Power)
McCartan and Sheerin competed as a team in Industry 4.0, a category covering smart technology and data-driven manufacturing automation. Both have foundation degrees in Mechatronics from Southern Regional College, with Sheerin having progressed to an Engineering BEng (Hons) degree.
Minister Hails “Outstanding Result”
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald, who met some of the competitors at Stormont before they travelled to Shanghai, praised their achievements:
“What an incredible achievement. Our competitors have taken on the very best in the world and shown that we have the talent and skills to compete and win on the global stage.
“To bring home gold, bronze and five medals for excellence is an outstanding result and every one of our competitors should be immensely proud.
“Their success also speaks volumes about the quality of our further education colleges, training providers and employers. Developing world-class skills is vital to creating good jobs, improving productivity and building a stronger economy, and these young people are fantastic ambassadors for what the north has to offer.”
Context and Unanswered Questions
While the Department for the Economy’s announcement celebrates the medallists’ success, it leaves several gaps that limit full assessment of Northern Ireland’s performance.
The press release does not state how many Northern Ireland competitors participated in total, making it impossible to calculate a success rate. Eight competitors from Northern Ireland were initially selected for Team UK, according to the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce — five from Southern Regional College alone, giving that institution the highest representation of any UK college or university. The Department’s announcement names seven medallists; the eighth competitor’s result has not been announced.
No historical comparison is provided to indicate whether this year’s results represent an improvement or decline from previous competitions. At WorldSkills Lyon 2024, the Republic of Ireland sent 18 competitors and won one bronze medal and seven Medals for Excellence — a comparable conversion rate, though direct comparison is complicated by different team sizes and skill categories.
The geographic concentration of winners may reflect the strength of particular institutions’ training programmes, though the sources do not indicate whether this pattern reflects broader regional disparities in skills provision. Six of the seven named medallists come from Southern Regional College’s catchment area (Banbridge, Lurgan, Waringstown, Newry, Portadown), with only Andrew McCann from South West College representing the wider region.
Additionally, the announcement makes no mention of how competitors were selected for Team UK. The process involves progressing through WorldSkills UK regional and national competitions, followed by intensive specialist training and “pressure tests” against international competitors — a journey that typically spans several years.
Team UK’s Broader Performance
Northern Ireland’s results contributed to Team UK’s strongest showing since 2017. The UK finished seventh of 68 nations by average points, winning two gold medals, one silver, three bronze medals and 13 Medals for Excellence across 25 skill categories. Team UK won two gold medals, including Ruth Douglas’s Chemical Laboratory Technology. The second gold was in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, according to competition results.
Host nation China dominated the medal table with 41 gold, 11 silver and 4 bronze medals — its fifth consecutive victory.
What This Means for Northern Ireland
The results come at a significant moment for Northern Ireland’s skills policy. With the Economy Minister pursuing a “Good Jobs Bill” and seeking to address regional economic imbalances, the WorldSkills success offers tangible evidence that the region’s further education sector can produce internationally competitive talent.
However, the concentration of success in one college and the absence of transparency about total participation rates limit the ability to draw broader conclusions about the health of technical education across Northern Ireland.
Questions for stakeholders:
- How many Northern Ireland competitors participated in total, and what was the overall success rate?
- How does this performance compare to Northern Ireland’s results at previous WorldSkills competitions?
- What explains the geographic concentration of winners, and what support is available to develop similar excellence in other regions?
- How can the visibility of technical and vocational pathways be improved to attract more young people into skills competitions?
- What employer engagement is needed to ensure medal-winning skills translate into career opportunities within Northern Ireland?
The 49th WorldSkills Competition will take place in Aichi, Japan from 15–20 November 2028.