College cyber-security student targets national representation

Former Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) Cyber Security student, Daniel Matthews, has his sights set on representing the UK on the global stage at the ‘Skills Olympics’ in China.

Following his success in the national WorldSkills competitions, Daniel (pictured) has secured a place on Squad UK, joining an 18-month intensive training programme.

This prepares aspiring competitors for the chance to represent the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai in September 2026.

Members of Squad UK will train under the guidance of highly skilled trainers, industry experts, former medal winners and performance coaches to prepare for the challenges of competing at the highest level.

The top performers from Squad UK will be selected next spring to become official members of Team UK ahead of the 48th WorldSkills finals in Shanghai.

The WorldSkills competition is regarded by global experts as the ultimate test of a nation’s ability to meet future skills needs.

Attended by government representatives, educationalists and leading employers worldwide, the event promotes skills excellence and global collaboration.

WorldSkills UK uses its participation in the competition to embed world-class training standards across the country, working with education, industry and the government.

This approach is helping to meet the demand for a highly skilled workforce in key sectors such as engineering, digital, manufacturing and construction.

Ben Blackledge, chief executive of WorldSkills UK said: “Congratulations to Daniel on being selected for our training programme for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

“Together with the other members on our programme, Daniel will be developing the right skills to fuel business growth across our economy.

“With WorldSkills being hosted in Shanghai next year, it provides a fantastic platform for us to work closely with China, where we know skills excellence is a priority, to collaborate, innovate and learn from the very best in the world.”  

Daniel Matthews began his WorldSkills journey while studying at Burton and South Derbyshire College.

He started on a Kickstart course and progressed to Level 3 courses in Computer Science, and Networking and Cyber Security.

Representing Burton and South Derbyshire College, Daniel competed in the national finals of the WorldSkills competition. He is now continuing his education by studying for a BA in Cyber Security at Nottingham Trent University.

Daniel said: “I’m thrilled to be officially announced as part of Squad UK, training towards representing the UK in Cyber Security at WorldSkills Shanghai in 2026! The journey so far has been incredible, and being part of this programme is truly inspiring. I’m grateful for all the support that has helped me reach this point.”

This is the first time China will host the WorldSkills competition. The event will bring together 1,500 young people from over 80 countries to compete in technical skill disciplines, including engineering, creative, digital, and hospitality, in front of an audience of 250,000.

The UK will compete in over 30 skills at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, such as 3D Digital Game Art, Robot Systems Integration, and Renewable Energy.