What started as a chance opportunity at college has led Joe to the biggest skills competition in the world. In 2026, he will represent Team UK in Bricklaying at WorldSkills Shanghai, competing against the world’s best young tradespeople.
Joe first became involved in WorldSkills UK through his college, Shrewsbury College, where he was nominated to take part in a regional competition. He travelled to Stroud to compete and quickly demonstrated strong potential, progressing through to the SkillsBuild finals in Milton Keynes. Over three days of intense competition, Joe delivered an outstanding performance, going on to win Gold.
Reflecting on his journey, Joe said: “I went down to my first competition and just thought I’d give it a go. A couple of months later I found out I’d made it through to the finals, and then to go on and win Gold was unbelievable. It’s opened opportunities I never expected.”
For Joe, bricklaying is more than just a job. He enjoys the challenge of developing his technical skills and takes pride in creating something that will stand the test of time. The competitions have provided an opportunity to push himself further, refine his craft and learn from some of the best in the industry.
Since then, Joe has progressed onto the WorldSkills UK Squad, where he continues to develop his technical skills and benchmark himself against some of the best young bricklayers in the world. Being selected for Team UK is a significant milestone and recognition of the dedication, hard work and commitment he has shown throughout his competition journey.
One of the biggest challenges Joe has faced is balancing the demands of competition with everyday life. Alongside training, he has also taken on major personal commitments, including building his own house, requiring careful time management and focus. Despite this, he has remained committed to his development, using every opportunity to push his skills further.
Joe has benefited from strong support through Shrewsbury College, which has provided access to workshop space, training opportunities and flexibility to support his WorldSkills UK journey. In addition, his employer, Shingler Group, has also been highly supportive, enabling him to continue developing his skills alongside work and providing encouragement throughout his competition journey.
His preparation has also included international training experiences. Joe recently travelled to France to train alongside competitors from France and Denmark, and he is due to compete again in Denmark as part of further international preparation activity. These experiences have allowed him to benchmark his skills against leading competitors from across Europe and gain valuable insight into global standards.
Looking ahead to WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, Joe is most excited about the opening ceremony and the opportunity to represent the UK on the world stage in a skill he is passionate about. He describes the experience as both exciting and surreal and is looking forward to competing against the best bricklayers from around the world.
Joe said: “Walking out in the opening ceremony, representing your country in something you’ve worked so hard for, is going to be incredible. I can’t wait to give it everything and hopefully bring a medal back for Team UK.”
As he prepares to represent Team UK in Shanghai, Joe hopes his story will encourage others to take opportunities when they arise and challenge themselves to reach their full potential. What began as a college competition has taken him across Europe, introduced him to world-class training opportunities and given him the chance to compete on the global stage.
