Banbridge student Ruth Douglas (21) will travel to Shanghai, China in September as part of Team UK for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, where she will compete in the Chemical Laboratory Technician category.

Douglas, who took gold in her debut UK national competition in 2024, earned selection in March following a rigorous process, competing against top performers across the country for a coveted place at the event, often dubbed the 'Skills Olympics'.

Reflecting on the selection process and being named the UK's representative in Chemical Laboratory Technician, Ruth said: "Competing against the other members of Squad UK for a spot in Team UK is probably the hardest aspect of the competition because you build up friendships with people and you have something so big in common, that you build up a close bond.

"The other Squad UK members are so supportive of me in getting to Shanghai. You go into the competition knowing that only one person will be selected and because of that, we all said that we would try as much as possible to be supportive of that person. Because we all went in with that attitude and talked about it from the very start, it made the selection process much easier when the decision was made."

She is one of eight competitors from Northern Ireland chosen for Team UK and will take part in one of 25 skill categories at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

Five of Northern Ireland's eight representatives hail from Southern Regional College (SRC), giving the college the largest number of competitors on Team UK of any college or university across the UK. Like many of her peers, Ruth has travelled regularly to England for an intensive training programme. With her Team UK Training Manager, SRC Specialist Lecturer Dr Deirdre Murray, much of her final preparation is now taking place closer to home.

There has also been international preparation. Last month, Ruth visited Austria for a 'pressure test', competing against counterparts from Austria and Finland in a simulated contest designed to replicate strict time limits, competition stress and public distractions.

With fewer than 80 days to go until the competition week, which runs from 22–27 September 2026, medals and titles are up for grabs for those who can keep their nerve in the arena.

Ruth speaks of her hopes for Shanghai: "I just want to prove myself wrong and do better than I expect. I want to make myself proud and everyone at SRC and my workplace proud. I've gone into every stage not thinking I'll get to the next stage and not thinking I'll do well.

"If I had to go back to the start again, I would absolutely recommend competing and participating in World Skills. Because while it is difficult, and there are tough times, it's so worth it."

Ruth began her WorldSkills journey while studying for a Foundation Degree in Applied Industrial Sciences (Chemical) at Southern Regional College as a Higher Level Apprentice with Almac. She completed the qualification in August 2025 before progressing to the Pharmaceutical Sciences top-up degree at Ulster University, where she has recently finished her first year.

Alongside her studies, Ruth continues to work at Almac and is expected to complete her top-up degree next summer.