Middlesex University student chosen for Britain’s ‘Skills Olympics’ squad

Robotics student to represent Team UK in elite global competition

A Middlesex University student with a passion for robotics has been chosen to represent the UK at this year’s WorldSkills Finals 2026, known as the “Skills Olympics”.

Pratham Lohia, who lives in Haringey and is studying for an MSc in Robotics, is one of only two people from the United Kingdom competing in the discipline of Robot Systems Integration (RSI). His teammate, Peter Jenkins, who studied at Coleg Menai in Llangefni, Wales, has been training with him at Middlesex University to prepare for the contest which will be held in Shanghai in September.

On being selected, Pratham, who graduated with a first-class degree in Mechatronics and Robotics from Middlesex last year, said: “I’m very excited to be competing as part of Team UK in the WorldSkills Finals. The competition brings together some of the best young people in the world with leading-edge technical skills so it is a real honour to take part.”

His teammate Peter said: “I was thrilled to be selected and am very much looking forward to all the training at Middlesex to prepare me for the event. We will be competing at a very high level, so Pratham and I are looking forward to developing our skills and knowledge even further.”

The event, in its 48th year, is the world’s largest international skills competition involving 1,500 of the most talented students, apprentices and young professionals from more than 80 countries taking part in a high-level battle of skill, precision and innovation.

Selected, mentored and trained by WorldSkills UK, Team UK will showcase world-class expertise across a range of disciplines, including renewable energy, 3D games design, car painting, health and social care, chemical laboratory technician and bricklaying, as well as robotics.

Pratham and Peter will compete against up to 20 international teams in their discipline of RSI, a relatively new skill introduced to the competition in 2019 and which is expected to be one of the most technically demanding contests.

Competitors programme, connect, test and troubleshoot robots so they work safely and reliably to complete industrial tasks, combining skills in robotics, software, controls engineering, electrical integration and industrial problem-solving in a single event.  

Along with Peter, Pratham has been preparing at Middlesex for the competition combining day-to-day practical work on a FANUC robotics platform with advanced modules in programming, system integration, fault finding and commissioning.

In the final months before Shanghai, they will undergo further high-performance preparation to ensure they are ready to compete at the highest possible level. By benchmarking against leading competitors and adopting best practices from across the robotics sector, the training emphasises continuous, immersive learning, ensuring both depth of technical expertise and the ability to respond to fast-evolving technologies in robotics and automation.

Their training has been led by Karla Kosch, Lecturer in Robotics at Middlesex University and UK Training Manager in Robot System Integration for WorldSkills. In 2022, she became the first UK Training Manager in RSI for WorldSkills and has built up a training programme to equip students with the skills and knowledge to design, implement and maintain advanced industrial robotics systems.

She said: “Pratham’s selection is a great achievement and well deserved. He is the first student from Middlesex University to be selected for the WorldSkills UK International Development Programme and to represent the country on the world stage in Robot Systems Integration.

“Pratham has an inquisitive mind, a commitment to perfection, is a hard-working student that takes his studies very seriously. His success at being selected shows how he has applied the practical skills and knowledge he gained from his degree programmes at Middlesex. Since he has joined my training programme in industrial robotics, he has shown an accelerated progression in recent months.”

Middlesex University has a long-standing partnership with WorldSkills UK, with Head of Design Engineering and Mathematics Professor Mehmet Karamanoglu devising the Automation and Mechatronics competitions each year. The University has training managers, who are alumni or staff members, in four disciplines at the competition.

WorldSkills is globally recognised as the ultimate benchmark of skills excellence, where nations go head-to-head to prove their ability to power future industries and economic growth. This year’s event is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors, alongside government leaders, global employers and education experts.

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK said: “Congratulations to Pratham and Peter on being selected for Team UK, it is a huge achievement and a proud moment for them.

“At a time when employers are sceptical about employing young people, Team UK show just how important it is to have young professionals in the workforce. These young technicians have an incredibly valuable mix of world-class technical skills, impressive employability skills and a mindset to succeed. We need to get more young people ready for work, and skills competitions are a proven way to improve engagement in training and work readiness.”

Pearson, the lifelong learning company, is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

Next week, Middlesex is hosting the regional qualifiers of the WorldSkills UK Laboratory Technician competition, on which Middlesex is the lead partner. The WorldSkills UK 2026 national finals will be held in venues across South Wales in November.

Find out more about WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.