A young British bricklayer is bringing home world-class bragging rights after a standout finish at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
Joe Shingler, 21, from Shrewsbury, earned a Medal for Excellence and placed fourth after competing against bricklayers from 23 other countries. The contest required competitors to build two walls over four days, with even a few millimeters of error costing valuable points. Shingler said it was “a really tough competition.”
The bricklaying task focused on detailed workmanship under pressure. Shingler said the design was “very intricate,” with heavy emphasis on cutting, including complex angles, radiuses, and patterns built into the wall. At the same time, he said competitors had to keep up the “production of a site brick layer,” balancing quality with output during an intense 22 hours of work in a hot venue.
WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 ran from Sept. 22-27 and brought together about 1,400 young competitors from 68 countries across 64 skills, from aircraft engineering and robotics to hairdressing and floristry. Shingler said he practiced ahead of time with competitors from other countries, including Denmark and France, and saw firsthand that bricklaying methods can vary by region, even when everyone is held to common standards on the day.
China won the bricklaying event. Shingler finished with 719 points, just six points short of third place and 30 behind first. He said his focus was executing the skills he knew he had.
Looking ahead, Shingler said he plans to step away from laying brick and move into site management for his father’s firm. He first got hooked on the trade at 15 while helping his father build a house.
Read the full, original article from BBC here.