Gower College Swansea has welcomed the Team Wales torch to Tycoch Campus, marking a key milestone on its journey across Wales ahead of this year’s WorldSkills UK National Finals.
The torch relay is building excitement ahead of the National Finals – hosted in Wales for the very first time on 26-28 November – and shining a spotlight on the road to WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, known globally as the ‘Skills Olympics’.
Across Wales, colleges have joined together to celebrate the collective effort behind Team Wales’ success in vocational skills. These competitions begin locally with Skills Competition Wales, coordinated by the Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales project, before progressing to national and international levels.
At the Tycoch Campus, the torch took centre stage during a special celebration event involving students and staff, local schools, employer partners, VIPs and past medal winners in a range of ‘Have a Go’ activities, demos and workshops.
Seven students from Gower College Swansea have reached the National Finals of WorldSkills 2025. Huge congratulations to:
Eva Robins – Foundation Skills: Restaurant Services
Bradley Claringbold, Hamza Imansouren and Kai Pagett – Industrial Electronics
Evelyn Howells – Restaurant Service
Ffion Davies – SFX Makeup and Hair for Film and TV
Kyle Steele – Welding
More than 400 of the UK’s most talented students and apprentices have been named as finalists for this year’s WorldSkills UK national competitions, where they’ll battle it out to be crowned the country’s best across dozens of skilled trades. They were selected from nearly 7,900 young people who registered to showcase their skills and competed in regional events. The 47 competitions include aircraft maintenance, welding and horticulture.
Wales has a strong association with Team UK and sent three competitors to last year’s WorldSkills event in Lyon.
Medallists will be announced at an awards ceremony on the evening of November 28 at the International Convention Centre in Newport. Foundation skills medallists will get their awards at a ceremony at Cardiff and Vale College earlier in the day.
“We were honoured to host the Team Wales torch at our Tycoch Campus,” said Interim Principal, Paul Kift. “We’re now eagerly anticipating the start of the National Finals on 26 November, where seven of our talented learners will proudly represent the College across a range of vocational disciplines. I’d like to wish all competitors the very best of luck – it’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase their skills and dedication on a national stage.”
Ben Blackledge, CEO of WorldSkills UK said: “With employers all over the UK crying out for high-quality skills, this is a fantastic opportunity for hundreds of learners to show they are ready for work. I can’t wait to see the finalists in action.”
Welsh Government Skills Minister Jack Sargeant hailed the move of the national competitions to Wales as ‘thrilling.’
“We look forward to showing off our beautiful country to visiting teams while our hard-working competitors prepare to demonstrate their training,” he said. “I’m keen to see our representatives excel once again across a range of disciplines on their home soil.”
