WorldSkills Jamaica opens robotics training camp ahead of Shanghai 2026

WorldSkills Jamaica, the HEART/NSTA Trust and Studica Robotics have opened an invitational training camp at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa as Jamaica steps up preparation for the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China, in September 2026.

The camp brings together competitors, experts and officials from Jamaica and overseas, with participants and delegations identified from Canada, China, Barbados, Brazil and Singapore. The programme focuses on autonomous mobile robotics and unmanned aerial systems, two technical areas officials said are central to modern industry and future employment.

Dr Cheryl McClining, deputy managing director at HEART/NSTA Trust, said the initiative is intended to give competitors international exposure while aligning their skills with WorldSkills standards. She said the training includes specialist instruction, practical testing, simulation exercises and competitive preparation in technologies now affecting manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, surveying, infrastructure inspection, disaster response, environmental monitoring, real estate and national security.

WorldSkills Jamaica technical delegate Dwayne Bent said the five-day camp would move from orientation and equipment familiarisation into assembly, navigation activities, prototype testing, timed competition, evaluation and gap analysis. He said the setting is designed to help teams understand WorldSkills standards, operate under pressure and identify areas to strengthen before Shanghai.

Derek Murphy, general manager of Studica Robotics, said the company’s partnership with WorldSkills Jamaica is aimed at supporting technical education, widening the talent pipeline and helping to close industrial skills gaps. He encouraged competitors and experts to share ideas during the camp while using the experience to prepare for the demands of international competition.

Dr Tanisha Ingleton, managing director of HEART/NSTA Trust and official delegate for WorldSkills Jamaica, told competitors the camp was not merely about participation. She said Jamaica’s investment in high-level technical training is also an investment in the skilled workforce needed by local and international industries.

The camp was officially declared open by Shireen Davis-Stubs, assistant chief education officer in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, who represented Permanent Secretary Dr Kasan Troupe. She said the ministry views the initiative as part of Jamaica’s wider push to strengthen technical and vocational education, innovation and global competitiveness.