Fanuc UK is continuing its commitment to inspire the next generation of engineers for the fifth year in succession by supporting WorldSkills UK to find the UK’s best young robotics talentLeading industrial automation specialist
Fanuc UK is continuing its commitment to inspire the next generation of engineers by supporting a search to find the UK’s best young robotics talent. For the fifth year in succession, the company is partnering with
WorldSkills UK for the annual
Industrial Robotics competition, aimed at giving young people the opportunity to learn how to programme a robot, enhance their engineering prowess, develop valuable workplace skills such as timekeeping and teamwork — and even earn the chance to represent
Squad UK at the international finals in Tokyo.
The competition is open to teams of two young people, who must be within a year of completing a relevant Level 3 apprenticeship and/or hold qualifications in an engineering-based subject (to a minimum Level 3 or equivalent). The contest has been designed to accommodate participants with different abilities and is accessible to those with little to no knowledge of robotic systems, as well as those with a robotics background.
The first stage of the competition takes place online from 22-25 April and will comprise a virtual task using Fanuc’s Robot Simulation software. Successful competitors will then be invited to take part in a live
Qualifiers Round, where they will complete a timed robot task at the
Smart Factory Expo, taking place 4-5 June at the NEC, Birmingham.
Fanuc’s team of robotics experts will provide hands-on training to participants ahead of the
National Finals, to be held in Coventry on 11-13 November at Fanuc UK’s annual Open House event. Eligible competitors will then have the chance to represent Squad UK at the
Worldskills International Finals in Tokyo.
Future careersThe current UK champions are Aled Gore and Morgan Leyson, both aged 21 and studying mechanical engineering at Bridgend College, in conjunction with
Renishaw. When asked about the value of competing in the
WorldSkills UK competition, Aled said: “Fanuc is the number one company in the automation industry. Competing with their support enabled me to get a head start in learning about robotics and the experience has boosted my CV. Morgan added: “I entered in the hope that the contest would help me to grow as a person, and hopefully provide me with opportunities to get into programming in the future.”
For Fanuc, the
WorldSkills UK competition has become an annual fixture and forms an integral part of the company’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of engineers and plugging the skills gap. Paul Coombes, competition organiser and head of technical for Fanuc UK, said: “Year-on-year, we have seen the quality of participants improve and I am sure that 2025 will be no different.”
“There are so many benefits to taking part in the
WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics competition — not least the chance to learn from real automation experts how to programme actual robots, hopefully kickstarting a love of robotics that could lead to a future career in the industry. But also, soft skills such as teamwork, record keeping and presenting; and of course, the chance to boost your CV and stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs and apprenticeships in the future. I would encourage anyone with an interest in engineering to give it a try — you really do have nothing to lose!”
To apply, register in teams of two via the
WorldSkills UK website from 3-28 March:
here.