WorldSkills UK finalists face Olympic challenge

​​​​​​​Finalists under 21 years of age who score above average will also be considered for the UK’s international squad preparing to compete at the 2028 Skills Olympics in Aichi, Japan

Six of the UK’s most promising refrigeration and air conditioning engineers have battled through to the final of the industry’s section of the 2025 WorldSkills UK competition to be held at Cardiff and Vale College, Wales, on November 26 and 27.

The competition, organised by the Building Engineering Services Association, is designed to showcase both emerging and established technical skills.

Competitors will be challenged to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump (RACHP) applications, while also maintaining a safe working environment, in testing ‘real world’ situations. The medal ceremony will take place on November 28.

Tasks include digital programming, fault finding/diagnosis, electrical testing, pipework fabrication, service and maintenance, with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability. The six competitors will be expected to commission, decommission and make changes to a complete working system.

Finalists under 21 years of age who score above average will also be considered for the UK’s international squad preparing to compete at the 2028 Skills Olympics in Aichi, Japan.

Taking part in the final are: Craig Gow, Cool Cair Refrigeration and Glasgow Kelvin College; Sapper Daniel Hunt, Royal Engineers; Evan Jones, Lightfoot International and City of Portsmouth College; Sapper Isaac Jervis, Royal Engineers; Samuel Jones, Industrial Cooling Equipment and Practical Refrigeration Training Centre; and Taylor McLaughlin from Cubic Works.

“This will be an amazing and potentially life-changing experience for all of these impressive young engineers,” said BESA’s technical director Kevin Morrissey.

 “Demonstrating your skills in front of a live audience and a high-calibre judging panel may be a bit daunting, but they will all benefit from the experience.”