FANUC UK has been celebrating the achievements of the UK’s young industrial robotics talent following the WorldSkills UK winners ceremony, held recently in Manchester.
Morgan Leyshon and Aled Gore, both 21 and from Bridgend College in Wales, were awarded Gold in the Industrial Robotics WorldSkills UK competition, which was held in conjunction with FANUC UK. The duo defeated over 80 competitors in the eight-month long contest, which culminated in the live finals at FANUC’s Open House event in Coventry.
Morgan and Aled now have the chance to represent Team UK at the WorldSkills International Industrial Robotics competition in Shanghai, China in 2026.
In a challenge set by FANUC’s automation engineering team, the finalists were tasked with completing the robot system integration of a cell to load and stack totes on a pallet ready for shipment. The totes had to be loaded with specific numbers of packages of different sizes, 16mm or 19mm thick.
The project was divided into three stages – setting up the robot and cell, completing the basic task and, if time, attempting an extension task.
“Year on year, the quality of the competitors has grown, and this year was no exception with some great teams making the final,” said Paul Coombes, competition organiser and head of Ttechnical for FANUC UK. “WorldSkills UK is a fantastic initiative, giving the next generation the opportunity to learn more about what a career in industrial robotics can offer. It’s highly rewarding to see the progression of those involved – this year’s marking team actually included some previous international-level competitors, which was great to see.”
Winners Aled and Morgan both study mechanical engineering at Bridgend College, in conjunction with Renishaw, and are hoping to pursue careers in the engineering sector once they graduate.
Ben Blackledge, chief executive, WorldSkills UK, said, “Being named the best in your skill is a tremendous achievement and reflects the dedication of teachers in our colleges, universities and training providers, who are the bedrock of our skills systems across the UK. Working with our partners across industry and education, we are championing the emerging skills that are critical to drive investment and business growth in the UK.”
