From competing in his local college to representing the UK on the global stage in Shanghai, apprentice Peter Jenkins is proving what can be achieved when talent meets a passion for engineering.
Peter, a Level 4 Mechanical Engineering Technician Apprentice at STFC Daresbury Laboratory, has been officially selected for WorldSkills Team UK in Robotic Systems Integration which is a team event. His competitive path began in North Wales at Coleg Menai through the Inspiring Skills Excellence in Wales framework. After winning Silver at Skills Competition Wales and then another Silver at the WorldSkills UK national finals, Peter was actually preparing to enter the national finals in another discipline when he received the life-changing news that he made the official UK team.
Preparing for the international stage has seen Peter spend the past year balancing his apprenticeship with a gruelling training circuit, travelling hundreds of miles across the UK. Following a year of intensive training with his partner for the competition, his place on the team was thrown into jeopardy when his long-standing teammate stepped down. Thankfully WorldSkills UK managed to source another competitor to step in just one month before the final selection event. Meaning he had to quickly establish a new dynamic with his current teammate, Pratham Lohia. Despite the incredibly tight turnaround, the duo hit the ground running.
Reflecting on the emotional milestone, Peter said: “I am excited to finally announce that I have been officially selected to represent the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026! This has been a long and admittedly hard journey over the past year, travelling all over the UK to prepare. Competing at this level requires absolute precision and focus under intense pressure.
"This whole journey would not have been possible without the guidance from my mentors Karla Kosch, Jason Scott, Adam Kirkpatrick, and Cameron Middleton. Full focus now before Shanghai 2026!"
Alongside his intense training, Peter has shown immense personal strength and resilience following a deeply challenging time. For six years Peter’s father lived with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) and sadly passed away just one day before Peter faced his ultimate selection test.
That test took place at the MACH Exhibition; the UK’s largest engineering and manufacturing showcase. The event served as an intense international pressure test, requiring Peter to compete directly against a visiting team from Romania with his place on the plane to Shanghai on the line. Despite his grief, Peter chose to compete, finding that the structure and focus of the competition provided a vital sense of purpose during an incredibly difficult moment.
Commenting on what pushed him forward, Peter shared: “Doing this has been keeping me going.”
Peter’s journey from North Wales to the global stage is a testament to his incredible character, drive, and talent. As he prepares for the ultimate test in Shanghai in September, he carries both his world-class skills and his father’s memory onto the world stage, with everyone back home cheering him on.
For more information on skills competitions in wales and how to start your own journey, visit https://inspiringskills.gov.wales/