Laboratory Technician Competition

Overview

Laboratory Technicians work in a wide range of organisations including industry, academia and educational establishments. These businesses may be in the chemical, biomedical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or other scientific sectors. Laboratory Technicians provide a range of critical services, including but not exclusively, analytical and synthetic science services and technical support. They are expected to work within a laboratory team but also individually, taking responsibility for the quality and accuracy of the work undertaken. Quality, safety, and ethical standards are paramount, as the sectors in which laboratory technicians work are often highly regulated.

The skills you need to demonstrate

Critical thinking
Problem solving
Adaptable (Independent and team working)
Attention to detail
Health and Safety
Meticulous
Team working
Time management

Useful resources

Prepare for competition success

Our library of endorsed local skills competition briefs ‘benchmarking assessments’ helps prepare learners to build technical skills, productivity, and mindset competencies for national competition success, including employability progression pathways.

Paired with the benchmarking tracker, educators can record progress, identifying strengths and target areas for improvement. Together, they offer a reliable, standards-led framework, creating a sustainable model for skills development that supports educators to empower learners to be competition ready.

Access on the Learning Lab

Entry criteria

This is an individual competition.
The skill set needed to meet the entry requirements are:
- Apprenticeship Level 3 or 4.
- HNC
- HW QF for England and Wales
- Educational or vocational qualification at Level 3 (eg: A-level or T-level)
- Foundation Degree or access to HE course at L3 or L4 (or SQF L7)
- First year in a BSc in Chemical or Biological Sciences
Competitors who do not fall in any of the categories above or are unsure about their eligibility may contact the competition organising partner for clarification, prior to registering.
Competitors should be familiar with most of the core competences listed but must not have more than two years’ (at time of registration) industry experience post certification. Competitors should be aged 16 or over to take part in this competition. Reasonable adjustments and support can be provided for any additional needs a competitor might have. These need to be declared at registration.
There is no limit on competitor registrations per organisation. Spaces at national qualifiers are limited and competitors will be selected and allocated to a qualifier after the entry stage has been submitted and marked. Location preferences made on the registration form will be considered.

How it works

1. Register

Registrations open on Monday 2 March 2026, 9am and will close Friday 27 March 2026, midnight.

2. Entry Stage

Entry Stage will be released between Monday 3 March with a final deadline of Sunday 6 April 2025.

3. National Qualifiers

Qualifiers will take place between 12 May and 27 June at venues in London, Manchester, Derby, South Wales, Lanarkshire, Armagh, Derry. Additional venues in other regions will be offered if enough competitors from a region reach the qualifier stage.

4. Training and Development

To help finalists prepare ahead of the UK Final, we will provide relevant technical training and share mindset development techniques, to support them to remain focused on achieving success.

Prepare students and apprentices by engaging with our benchmarking resources to master their skills and mindset masterclasses to build confidence and resilience on the WorldSkills UK Learning Lab.

5. National Finals

The National Finals are scheduled to take place in Wales during the week commencing 16 November 2026.

6. Squad UK

Competitors who are age eligible and have achieved the benchmark score will be invited to opt into Squad UK for the WorldSkills 2028 cycle, subject to the skill progressing to the international competition cycle.