Former Coleg Menai student Selected for Team UK at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026
Coleg Menai alumnus to represent Team UK at WorldSkills 2026: Holyhead-born engineer Peter Jenkins has secured his place at the prestigious "Skills Olympics" in Shanghai this September.
A former Coleg Menai student who once spent hours programming a toy robotic arm gifted to him for Christmas has achieved the ultimate engineering dream. Peter Jenkins, originally from Holyhead, has been officially selected to represent Team UK at the prestigious WorldSkills Finals 2026, known as the “Skills Olympics”, taking place in Shanghai, China, this September.
Peter will compete alongside teammate Pratham Lohia, a Master’s student at Middlesex University, in the highly demanding discipline of Robot Systems Integration. Together, the duo will go head-to-head against the finest young technical minds on the planet, showcasing their expertise in programming, system integration, controls engineering, and industrial problem-solving.
From left to right, Pratham Lohia, Peter Jenkins, and robotics trainer Karla Kosch. Image: Middlesex University
A rollercoaster journey to the top
For Peter, the road to Shanghai has been a test of resilience. After winning Silver medals at both the Welsh and UK national competitions in 2024, he was initially dealt a blow when he was told he hadn't made the cut for the next international stages.
Refusing to give up, Peter decided to pivot, testing his luck in an entirely different discipline: Additive Manufacturing. After securing yet another Silver medal at the Welsh level and preparing to compete in the UK national finals for a second time, he received the surprise phone call of a lifetime – he was being called up to the elite UK Selection Squad for robotics.
"I was shocked to find out that I was selected for Team UK," Peter said. "It's been such a long journey. I never thought it would happen to me. My college, Coleg Menai, supported me through it all, and they are still supporting me now, even though I moved on a year or so ago."
From local classrooms to particle accelerators
Peter’s passion for robotics was sparked early in life, but it was refined into a world-class skill set during his time at Coleg Menai, where his natural talent quickly caught the eye of his tutors.
"I have always been into engineering and robotics," Peter explained. "When I was young, I was given a build-your-own robotic arm for Christmas and spent countless hours programming it to do different things. I later did a module in robotics at Coleg Menai, where I was chosen to compete in Wales because I 'stood out' from the rest of my class."
Today, Peter is applying those skills at the absolute cutting edge of science. He is currently working as an apprentice at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) at the Daresbury Laboratory. There, he performs technician and engineering work for global particle accelerator science, including the high-profile "HiLumi" upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.
"Working at STFC has given me the immense technical skills and know-how required to excel in robotics," said Peter, who is also currently working toward his Level 4 NVQ.
Turning up the heat for Shanghai
For the past year, Peter has thrown himself into an intensive, gruelling training regimen, dedicating one week every month to mastering a FANUC industrial robotics platform. His preparation has already taken him across Europe, including a high-pressure international test in Hungary, where he competed against the Austrian and Hungarian national teams.
Peter attributes much of his rapid progression to his dedicated trainer, Karla, and the support of Middlesex University, where he and Pratham have been training side-by-side.
"Karla always does her best to support us and wants to push her students further than they ever thought possible," Peter said. "Middlesex has been amazing, remaining open for us to train on weekends, loaning us equipment, and providing faculty support to ensure we stay at our A-game."
The world stage awaits
Powered by WorldSkills UK in partnership with Pearson, Team UK represents the pinnacle of vocational and technical excellence in Britain. The final showdown in Shanghai is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors, alongside global industry leaders and education experts.
As the clock ticks down to September, Peter and Pratham are entering their final, most intensive period of preparation yet. For a young man from Holyhead who started out with a toy robotic arm under the Christmas tree, the ultimate prize is now firmly within reach.