Team UK bring home medal haul from WorldSkills Lyon 2024 and Top 10 ranking | FE News

Team UK achieved tenth place winning: 4 medals (2 silver and 2 bronze) and 12 Medallions for Excellence (awarded to those competitors who achieve 700 or more points (world standard) but don’t get a medal

Apprentices and students of vocational qualifications from across the UK demonstrated their world-class skills on the global stage this week, delivering a strong response to the Prime Minister’s plans to rebuild Britain.  

The members of Team UK, selected, mentored and trained by WorldSkills UK, have been recognised as among the most skilled young people in the world by leading global industry experts following their medal winning performance at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, known as the ‘skills Olympics’. 

Over 1500 young people from 69 countries competed over four days of tough competition in 62 different skills at WorldSkills Lyon.  The event was watched by over 250,000 spectators.

WorldSkills UK, a four nations partnership between education, industry and UK governments, uses the insight it gains from participating in the international WorldSkills Competition to embed world-class training standards across the UK.  Pearson, the world’s lifelong learning company is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Lyon 2024.

Team UK achieved the following:

Harry Scolding – Silver, Joinery.  Harry runs his own business HDS Joinery and attended Solihull College.

Ruben Duggan – Silver, Plumbing and Heating.  Ruben works for Powerserv LTD and trains at Coleg Y Cymoedd, Wales.

Luke Haile – Bronze, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning.  Luke attended Eastleigh College and works for Lightfoot Defence in Fareham, Hampshire.

David McKeown – Bronze, Autobody Repair.  David works at James McKeown Accident Repair and trains at Riverpark Training in Northern Ireland. 

Lucy Yelland and Ben Love – Medallion for Excellence, Mechatronics.  Lucy and Ben work at Siemens UK and train at Tameside College, Greater Manchester.

Nathan Young – Medallion for Excellence, Mechanical Engineering CAD.  Nathan attends University of West Scotland and previously studied at New College Lanarkshire, Scotland. 

Mark Kiss – Medallion for Excellence, Web Technologies.  Mark attends United Colleges Group, London.

Daniel Knox – Medallion for Excellence, Electrical Installations.  Daniel works for GP Electrical and Security LTD and trained at South West College, Northern Ireland.

Dior Regan – Medallion for Excellence, Painting and Decorating.  Dior works for Lindum Group and attends Lincoln College.

Isaac Bingham – Medallion for Excellence, Cabinet Making.  Isaac works for Monkeywood and attended Southern Regional College, Northern Ireland. 

Charlotte Lloyd – Medallion for Excellence, Hairdressing.  Charlotte works for Reds Hair Company in Ross-on-Wye.

Oska Ready – Medallion for Excellence, Cooking.  Oska works for DN1 Delicatessen & Dining and attended DN Colleges Group, Doncaster.

Miguel Harvey – Medallion for Excellence, Car Painting.  Miguel works for Steer Automotive Group in Stratford Upon Avon.

Finley Graham – Medallion for Excellence, IT Network Systems Administrations.  Finley attended City of Glasgow College and is now studying at Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland.

Isabelle Barron – Medallion for Excellence, Digital Construction.  Isabelle attended Sheffield Hallam University and works at WSP in Liverpool.

Jason Scott and Charlie Carson – Medallion for Excellence, Robot Systems Integration.  Jason works at AES Global and Charlie attends University of Ulster.  They both attended Northern Regional College, Northern Ireland.

In addition, Ruby Pile, Restaurant Service was awarded the ‘Best in Nation’ for the UK.  Ruby works at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa and attended Cardiff and Vale College.  Ruby was presented with the prestigious award to honour her exceptional dedication and commitment to skills excellence, reflecting the high standards and hard work of Team UK.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

“As we close this incredible WorldSkills competition, I want to congratulate everyone involved. You’ve all showcased exceptional skill, dedication, and creativity, proving that the future is in capable hands.

 “Everyone competing in WorldSkills has demonstrated their potential as future leaders and innovators. We want to support everyone across the country to access opportunity, no matter who they are or where they’re from.

 “A big thank you to the judges, mentors, and organisers. Your efforts make this all possible. Let’s continue to put skills at the heart of our vision for Britain.”

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “It is fantastic to be in the top ten once again at WorldSkills. It’s brilliant to see that our continued focus on raising the quality and standard of skills is delivering, not only for Team UK but the country as a whole. High quality skills development is crucial to growing the economy, and Team UK’s medal-winning performance in front of a global audience sends a strong message that the UK is a world-class place to invest, develop talent and create jobs.”

Freya Thomas Monk, Managing Director of Vocational Qualifications and Training at Pearson, said: “My warmest congratulations to Team UK for their impressive performance this week.  I have really enjoyed the incredible sense of community and collaboration here in Lyon – WorldSkills isn’t just about celebrating achievements, it’s about sending a powerful message to governments, educators, and industries about the critical role of skills in driving economic growth and personal success. As a leader in lifelong learning, Pearson is proud to partner with WorldSkills UK.”

WorldSkills Lyon 2024 took place from 10 -15 September. 

The next WorldSkills Competition will take in 2026 in Shanghai, China.