MDX graduate among talented apprentices and students competing in WorldSkills Lyon 2024

Mikhaela Rain Roy is one of more than 1,500 young people who will take part in the ‘Skills Olympics’

A Middlesex University graduate is among talented young apprentices and students who will compete at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 - known as the ‘Skills Olympics’.

Team UK will be heading for glory on the world stage in Lyon, France, just hours after the Olympic flame in Paris is dimmed in September.

All aged under 25, the members of Team UK will compete in several disciplines including cyber security, renewable energy, digital construction, aircraft maintenance, mechatronics, cooking, hairdressing and painting and decorating. More than 1,500 young people from 65 countries will take part in 62 different skill disciplines.

Mikhaela Rain Roy, an MDX BEng Hons Mechatronics graduate, has teamed up with Simonas Brasas from Kingston University and will compete in the Industry 4 category related to the integration of digital technologies into manufacturing and industrial processes.

Originally from the Philippines, Mikhaela moved to the UK with her family in 2010 and said her time at MDX had been a big positive for her career journey and thanked Professor Mehmet Karamanoglu, Head of the Design Engineering and Mathematics Department, for his ‘invaluable assistance’.

Speaking about why she entered WorldSkills, Mikhaela said: “I wanted to test myself with something I really enjoyed from my degree, which was about automation and programming. Joining the Industry 4.0 competition was just the way to go.”

“When we got the news from WorldSkills, I was overjoyed and couldn't believe that my dedication and hard work paid off.”

Prof Karamanoglu, said: “I am thrilled to see Mikhaela continuing her interest in blending automation and programming and put in the effort needed to become the best in the UK in her field. She has demonstrated amazing technical skill and professionalism, something that we try and instil in all our students.

“Although she has graduated, she continues to act as a role model to many others, within and outside the University and still carries the role of being a founding member and the Vice-Chair of the recently established Women’s Engineering Society Student Board.

“Industry 4.0 is a new technology where Middlesex was the first in the UK to make a significant investment in setting up the first Cyber Physical Lab/Smart Factory at a university back in 2017. This also led to the creation of our world leading Digital Twin Research Centre. This is now helping to develop graduates such as Mikhaela who are very much in demand in industry. We wish her all the best in Lyon and beyond.”

In future Mikhaela hopes to begin a Master's in Advanced Robotics and become a Robotics/Systems Integration Engineer. She has been trained by Marcin Regulski, WorldSkills UK Expert in Industry 4.0, who is also an MDX alumni, having graduated in 2018 in BEng Hons Mechatronics.

WorldSkills UK, a partnership between education, industry and UK governments, is responsible for selecting, mentoring and training Team UK. Middlesex University has partnered with WorldSkills UK and organises national competitions in Automation, Mechatronics and Chemistry Laboratory Technicians.

Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK said: “The prize is the world-class skills that UK employers are crying out for.  I couldn’t be prouder of the exceptional young people in Team UK; they are fantastic role models.”

Max Whitlock OBE, Triple World and Olympic Champion Gymnast, Six-time Olympic Medallist and former BTEC student, said: "Huge congratulations to the remarkable 'skills Olympians' selected to represent the UK at the upcoming WorldSkills competition. Their passion and hard work will guarantee that UK skills will shine bright on the global stage this September.”

WorldSkills Lyon 2024, now in its 47th year, will take place from 10-15 September 2024.

Find out more about Mechatronics and Robotics BEng and Mechatronic Systems Engineering MSc at Middlesex University.