10/08/2026
Lurgan's Oisin McKerr Targets Gold At WorldSkills 'Skills Olympics' In Shanghai
Oisin McKerr, 22, from Lurgan will represent Team UK at the WorldSkills global competition in Shanghai from 22–27 September 2026, competing in the automotive paint respraying category.
A professional paint resprayer at Porters Bodyshop in Portadown, he first stepped into competitive skills after a chat with his then Southern Regional College (SRC) car paint respraying lecturer, David Fairley.
Oisin said: "I first got into the competition side of painting back when I was at SRC and I said to David that I'd love to get involved. So, David put me forward to do the national competition and ever since then it's progressed from there."
On his debut at the national finals in 2023, McKerr won gold, securing a place in Team UK’s development squad for the following year’s Shanghai event.
He has since completed an intensive 18-month training programme alongside three other young car resprayers, before being named in April this year as Team UK’s sole representative in his category.
In preparation, McKerr has taken part in a series of ‘pressure tests’ against international opponents, aware that many rivals train exclusively for WorldSkills.
Chasing another gold, he said: "I've always wanted to be the best. It might be my competitive nature, but it pushes me to keep improving. Winning the UK gold medal and earning my place on Team UK took a huge amount of hard work, it certainly wasn’t handed to me."
Looking ahead to Shanghai, he added: "When I get to Shanghai, I'm aiming for the top spot. I'm going there to compete with the best in the world, and I don't want to settle for anything less.
"WorldSkills demands excellence. Every detail matters and the standard expected goes beyond everyday industry practice. You have to give everything you've got."
Oisin likens preparation to revising for an exam, repeatedly practising techniques without knowing exactly what tasks will appear on the day.
Despite the intense focus on Shanghai's 'Skills Olympics', he still makes time for his passion projects and is currently building a car that will feature at Birmingham's Gravity Show later this month.
A professional paint resprayer at Porters Bodyshop in Portadown, he first stepped into competitive skills after a chat with his then Southern Regional College (SRC) car paint respraying lecturer, David Fairley.
Oisin said: "I first got into the competition side of painting back when I was at SRC and I said to David that I'd love to get involved. So, David put me forward to do the national competition and ever since then it's progressed from there."
On his debut at the national finals in 2023, McKerr won gold, securing a place in Team UK’s development squad for the following year’s Shanghai event.
He has since completed an intensive 18-month training programme alongside three other young car resprayers, before being named in April this year as Team UK’s sole representative in his category.
Chasing another gold, he said: "I've always wanted to be the best. It might be my competitive nature, but it pushes me to keep improving. Winning the UK gold medal and earning my place on Team UK took a huge amount of hard work, it certainly wasn’t handed to me."
Looking ahead to Shanghai, he added: "When I get to Shanghai, I'm aiming for the top spot. I'm going there to compete with the best in the world, and I don't want to settle for anything less.
"WorldSkills demands excellence. Every detail matters and the standard expected goes beyond everyday industry practice. You have to give everything you've got."
Oisin likens preparation to revising for an exam, repeatedly practising techniques without knowing exactly what tasks will appear on the day.
Despite the intense focus on Shanghai's 'Skills Olympics', he still makes time for his passion projects and is currently building a car that will feature at Birmingham's Gravity Show later this month.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be a dry and bright day with warm sunny spells, although the sunshine will occasionally turn hazy during the afternoon. Winds will be light Maximum temperature 19 °C.Tonight:A dry evening with some sunshine to end the day. Remaining dry overnight with variable cloud and some clear spells. Minimum temperature 12 °C.