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Posted: Sun 13th Jul 2025
Twenty-four young people from North Wales will compete at the WorldSkills UK National Finals 2025, the UK’s largest skills competition, being held in Wales for the first time.
The event, which runs from 26 to 28 November across five venues in Wales, will bring together 417 competitors from across the UK to contest in 47 final events.
A record-breaking 120 young people from Wales have qualified, making up 29% of the national finalists, an increase from 25% last year.
The competition will cover a wide range of disciplines, including 3D Digital Game Art, Aircraft Maintenance, Health and Social Care, and Culinary Arts.
Welsh Government confirmed its partnership to host the National Finals with Inspiring Skills Excellence and WorldSkills UK last September, following the successful WorldSkills finals held in Lyon.
Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership Jack Sargeant said: “These competitions show the real-world value and applications of apprenticeships and are invaluable in futureproofing our economy.
“I am proud Wales is hosting the WorldSkills Finals UK 2025. We have a beautiful country, and I hope all visitors will take some time to explore it.
“I wish this new cohort of competitors pob lwc – I know you’ll do yourselves and us all proud.”
One of the North Wales competitors, Mark Wright from Greenfield, Flintshire, is an apprentice at International Crusher Solutions Ltd. He will compete in the Metal Fabricator competition.
He said: “I started out in Construction Metalwork competitions last year and won gold in the Skills Competition Wales with the highest score in the region, and Silver in WorldSkills UK.
“I enjoyed them so much that I decided to go for the UK qualifiers this year in Metal Fabrication too, and I’m over the moon to be heading to the WorldSkills UK National Finals. It’s a great experience, and I just focus, get stuck in, and enjoy it.”
The WorldSkills UK Competitions are an integral part of post-16 education and training, attracting over 6,000 registrations annually from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The events provide opportunities for education institutions and employers to benchmark their students and apprentices against international standards.
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