Runcorn refrigeration engineer wins gold at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026

A young engineer from the north west of England has won the gold medal in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has said.

Sam Jones, who is listed by WorldSkills UK as Samuel Jones, works for Runcorn-based Industrial Cooling Equipment and trained at the Practical Refrigeration Training Centre in Burnley. According to BESA, he was the overall winner after a four-day competition in Shanghai. WorldSkills UK gives his home town as Ashton, Wigan.

Minje Kim of Korea took silver and Xavier Belanger of Canada took bronze. BESA said the category was among the most heavily contested, with 27 competitors, and that a further 11 received medals for excellence. WorldSkills International says these medals go to competitors who reach world-class standards in their skill.

"To have come out on top of such an impressive field over four days of intense competition is outstanding," said Jill Nicholls, BESA's director of competence and compliance.

The route to Shanghai

WorldSkills UK says Jones joined Squad UK after the National Finals in November 2025. He went on to become one of 28 Team UK competitors across 25 skill competitions in Shanghai, selected and trained by WorldSkills UK in partnership with Pearson.

WorldSkills International said the Shanghai event brought together 1,400 competitors from nearly 70 countries and regions, competing across 64 skills over four days.

BESA is an organising partner of the WorldSkills UK competition, which can lead to a place at the global finals, and also operates the F-Gas registration scheme REFCOM. It said the wider WorldSkills movement involves more than 80 countries and was set up over 60 years ago.

Nicholls said apprenticeships are the ideal way into refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump (RACHP) work, and pointed to Jones as an example for others.

"Sam is a trailblazer and ambassador for the next generation of RACHP engineers who will be in ever increasing demand worldwide," she said.

WorldSkills UK describes the RACHP skill as reflecting a UK industry that supports food safety, healthcare, data centres and sustainable heating and cooling.

Six finalists in line to follow

The same pathway is now open to a new group. BESA said six engineers have reached this year's RACHP WorldSkills UK final from a record field of 18 qualifiers, and could go on to win a place on the UK team for the 2028 competition in Japan. WorldSkills International has confirmed the next event as WorldSkills Aichi 2028.

BESA names the finalists as Kian Ferns and Martin Oates of Glasgow Kelvin College, James Burns of City of Portsmouth College and Trane UK, Alex Huggins of Bath College, and Jacob Mclean and Kaya Yanik of Total People.

BESA's competition page says the qualifiers were held at the InstallerSHOW at the NEC Birmingham on 23-26 June 2026. The judging panel included experts from Beijer Ref, Daikin, Maple Mechanical, Catalen, Shelly Group and Baxi.

Entrants must be at least 16, hold F-Gas Category 1 certification and have no more than three years' industry experience, excluding time spent on an apprenticeship. The competition starts with a one-hour online entry test, followed by practical regional qualifiers and national finals covering fault-finding, fabrication and refrigerant handling.

The UK competition is supported by BAXI, with sponsorship from the BDR Thermea Foundation.

What happens next

The six finalists will take part in the BESA Annual Conference at the Brewery, London, on 22 October, which will include a dedicated WorldSkills UK theatre. They will also be recognised at the BESA Industry Awards that evening. BESA said the WorldSkills UK final will be live streamed.