Enginuity celebrates Welding talent at WorldSkills UK 2025

Enginuity was proud to sponsor the Welding category at the WorldSkills UK 2025 Final and to attend the event in South Wales, celebrating the incredible skill and dedication of the participants.

As a charity dedicated to closing the skills gaps in the UK’s engineering and manufacturing sector, Enginuity is committed to developing the next generation of talent and promoting excellence across the industry.

Developing skills through competition

The WorldSkills UK 2025 competitions are designed by industry experts and help young people grow personally and professionally by developing their technical and employability skills. 

The competitions provide young people with the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, developing technical and employability skills while demonstrating their talent on a national stage. Competitors participated in regional competitions at colleges, training centres, workplaces, or online, advancing to compete against the best learners and apprentices from across the UK.

Enginuity’s decision to sponsor the Welding category stems from the growing skills gap in the welding sector. The UK faces a significant shortage of qualified welders, with many employers relying on importing talent to fill critical roles. 

Welding offers a rewarding and stable career path, with strong demand across the manufacturing and engineering sector.  Through this sponsorship, Enginuity aims not only to raise the profile of welding as a valuable and long-term career but also to support the broader mission of WorldSkills UK in elevating standards of teaching and training across all the sectors.

The results of the competition were as follows:

• Gold – Jack Billingham, Rolls-Royce plc
• Silver – Kian Brocken, Training 2000 Limited
• Bronze – Mason Aitchison, Pembrokeshire College
• Highly Commended – Reece Naylor, Rolls-Royce plc and Prabin Shrestha, Royal Engineers Vocational Education and Training Trust

Celebrating welding excellence

Nicola Dolan, Head of Charity Operations for Enginuity, commented: “We are incredibly proud to congratulate all the competitors, and especially the medal winners Jack, Kian and Mason in the Welding category at the WorldSkills UK 2025 Final. Your skill, determination and commitment shine a spotlight on the vital role welders play in the engineering and manufacturing sectors. It's no surprise that welding is singled out in the Industrial Strategy as a key skill that will support industry growth.

“Supporting this category reflects Enginuity’s mission to inspire and equip the next generation of engineering talent, and it has been truly inspiring to see such outstanding ability on display. Competitions like WorldSkills UK are essential in raising standards and encouraging more young people to pursue careers in welding, and this year’s finalists have demonstrated just how bright that future can be.”

The importance of Vocational skills

Vocational learning has long been undervalued, often seen as less important or challenging than academic routes, and we want to change that.

The UK urgently needs people with hands-on, technical, work-ready skills, and vocational learners are rising to the challenge. From engineering and manufacturing to construction and care, these learners are building the future.

That’s why Enginuity and EAL are holding the first national Vocational Celebration Day on 6 August 2026, a moment to spotlight the value of vocational pathways, challenge outdated perceptions, and champion the skills our country needs. Between now and 2026, we’ll be amplifying stories, sharing resources, and celebrating the learners, colleges, training providers, and employers powering our industries.

Enginuity congratulates all participants once again and looks forward to continuing its support for the next generation of welders. Events like WorldSkills UK not only celebrate exceptional talent but also inspire young people to pursue rewarding careers in engineering and manufacturing, helping to shape the future of the sector.

Discover more about World Skills Get involved with Vocational Celebration Day