Ben Blackledge to stay on as WorldSkills UK chief executive after board accepts withdrawn resignation

WorldSkills UK confirmed on Friday 9 October that Ben Blackledge, who had been due to step down as chief executive that day, will stay in the role with immediate effect after the board accepted his request to withdraw his resignation.

The charity, which runs Team UK's entry to the international WorldSkills competition and a workforce development programme for technical educators, gave no reason for the change of course beyond the context set out by its chair.

Marion Plant OBE, Chair, Board of Trustees, WorldSkills UK, said: "The WorldSkills UK Board has agreed a request from Ben Blackledge to withdraw his resignation and continue as Chief Executive."

She pointed to Team UK's results at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 and to the organisation's educator training work. "Following Team UK's success in Shanghai alongside exciting developments in our workforce development activity, and the continued opportunity to support young people into the world of work, we are delighted that Ben will continue to lead WorldSkills UK," she said.

The Shanghai result

The 48th WorldSkills Competition ran from 22 to 27 September 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China, according to WorldSkills UK. The organisation estimated about 1,400 competitors from 73 countries and regions would compete across 64 skills. Team UK sent 28 competitors across 25 skill competitions.

WorldSkills UK announced on 27 September that Team UK had won two gold, one silver and three bronze medals, with a further 13 Medals for Excellence, which denote achieving world-class standards. That gave the UK medal recognition in 19 of the 25 skills it entered.

Award	Number
Gold	2
Silver	1
Bronze	3
Medals for Excellence	13

Several of those results came in construction and building services trades. Samuel Jones, 21, from Ashton near Wigan, who works for Industrial Cooling Equipment Ltd, won gold in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning.

Medals for Excellence went to Joseph Shingler, 21, from Shrewsbury, who works for the Shingler Group and attends Shrewsbury College, in Bricklaying; Shelby Fitzakerly, 20, from Accrington, who works for SPAIN Building & Maintenance, in Painting & Decorating; Andrew McCann, 21, from Aughnacloy in Northern Ireland, who works for AMC Plumbing & Heating, in Plumbing & Heating; and Jonathan Gough, 22, from Waringstown, Northern Ireland, who is self-employed, in Electrical Installation.

Blackledge, speaking as chief executive when the results were announced, described them as a set of results everyone in the UK should be proud of.

Blackledge's record

Blackledge joined WorldSkills UK in 2014 after working in government policy roles, and became deputy chief executive in 2019, according to the organisation's 2023 appointment announcement. He was confirmed as chief executive on 11 July 2023, having previously held the post on an interim basis, and took full responsibility for leading the charity immediately.

Plant chaired the board at the time of that appointment as well.

The Centre of Excellence

Plant said the organisation now looks forward to "bringing international learning back to the UK" and extending its reach across technical education through the Centre of Excellence.

The Centre of Excellence is WorldSkills UK's workforce development programme, run in partnership with awarding organisation NCFE. After a three-year pilot covering 48 organisations, made up of further education colleges and independent training providers, WorldSkills UK opened it in June 2023 to all FE colleges, independent training providers and higher education institutions across the UK. WorldSkills UK said at the time that it would remain free for organisations to join.

WorldSkills UK says more than 15,000 educators have benefited from its World Class Teacher Training through the programme, and that more than 280,000 learners have benefited from the impact of that educator training.

WorldSkills UK is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 29 August 1990 under company number 02535199, with its registered office at 52-54 St John Street, London, according to Companies House.