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President of the University of Technology, Jamaica, Dr. Kevin Brown, travelled to Shanghai, China, on Thursday, September 17, to participate in the WorldSkills Conference 2026 and pursue opportunities for international collaboration in STEM education, research and technology.

The WorldSkills Conference will be held September 23–25 alongside the WorldSkills Competition, which runs from September 22–27. The WorldSkills Conference brings together ministers, educators, industry leaders, and young changemakers to debate how the world can find, train, and value young skilled professionals, while the WorldSkills Competition 2026 shines a spotlight on the talent needed to build it.  Each event, celebrated in its own right, together will highlight the role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in building a secure, sustainable and prosperous future.

Dr. Brown will participate in the conference while supporting the Jamaica WorldSkills team, which includes UTech student Antonio Rolong, who will compete in the Autonomous Mobile Robotics category.

“UTech is participating with the Jamaica WorldSkills team, in partnership with HEART Trust/NSTA, and we have students competing in a number of TVET/STEM competitions,” Dr. Brown said. “Antonio Rolong is part of the National Autonomous Robotics Mobile Team, and I am very proud of his participation. I wish the entire team well.”

Dr Brown said the visit will also provide an opportunity to gain insight into international standards in STEM and TVET education and to identify opportunities that can benefit UTech.

“I want to see what WorldSkills is all about, understand the international standard, learn from educational institutions and global industry leaders, and bring back that knowledge to help us grow STEM teaching and learning and curriculum development,” he said.

He also plans to explore opportunities to advance UTech, Jamaica’s STEM laboratories and acquire new equipment to support teaching, learning and research.

“UTech is growing its STEM research portfolio,” Dr. Brown said, pointing to the University’s recent acquisition of a 3D metal printer through a donation from the Lloyd Carney Foundation and the opening of the advanced state-of-the-art IMEk Lab anchored by an advanced metal additive manufacturing (3D printing) system and complemented by a comprehensive suite of modern technologies that support digital fabrication, advanced manufacturing, and electronics prototyping. 

“The metal 3D printer is a game changer for us,” he said. “It allows us to do advanced research in additive manufacturing that can benefit Jamaican industry and the wider Caribbean.”

Dr. Brown noted that the IMEK Lab also includes a makerspace equipped with 3D plastic printers and prototyping equipment that is accessible to UTech students across disciplines.

During the China visit, he plans to meet with leading STEM institutions and organisations to explore sustainable partnerships for knowledge exchange, capacity building and access to advanced technologies.

“I am excited about going to Shanghai and to WorldSkills,” Dr. Brown said. “I hope to return with knowledge and partnerships that will help us to keep UTech at the frontline of STEM education in Jamaica.”

The President will be accompanied by Mr Hugh Cargill, Director of the IMEK Lab and lecturer in the School of Engineering, who will focus particularly on identifying technologies and equipment that could enhance UTech’s programmes.

Mr Cargill said a major objective of the visit is to examine equipment being used across the 93 skill areas represented at WorldSkills and identify technologies that could be adapted for use at UTech.

“We want to look at what other institutions worldwide are using so that we can adapt some of those technologies for our students, improve their experience and make them more ready for the jobs that they will enter in Jamaica and the Caribbean,” Cargill said.

He said the team will examine equipment used in engineering, the Faculty of The Built Environment and other areas, including advanced additive manufacturing and robotics.

“The objective is to dig into the 93 different skill areas and identify the best-in-class equipment that schools and industry are using and bring that back to UTech to supplement our curriculum so that our students are familiar with the equipment and can succeed in the jobs that they go into,” Cargill said.

For 19-year-old Antonio Rolong, the WorldSkills Competition represents the culmination of a journey that began when he joined UTech and became involved in robotics through the IEEE student club.

Rolong, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Networking and Security with a major in Cyber Security, said his studies have contributed directly to his preparation for the competition, particularly in networking and programming.

“Since the robot communicates with itself wirelessly and wired, my studies in the networking aspect specifically have helped me a lot in understanding how the parts communicate with each other and looking for ways to make that more efficient,” he said. “And also the programming aspect. Programming-wise, it has given me a good foundation to build on, especially in terms of lower languages like C and C++.”

Rolong became involved in the WorldSkills programme after competing in the national skills competition in Mandeville, where he and teammate Ryan-Jai Pusey placed second. Following subsequent elimination rounds, the pair were selected to form Jamaica’s Autonomous Mobile Robotics team.

Preparation has been intensive with the team spending long hours building and dismantling the robot, developing arm designs, programming and debugging.

“We have spent many hours, sleepless nights, lots of programming,” Rolong said. “We have been practising the base, the wiring, the autonomous movements and the arm. We have to repeat it because of the time limit. We need to be fast, precise and accurate.”

He said the experience has given him an opportunity to test and develop skills beyond the scope of his degree programme.

“I believe that these skills that I have learned at UTech have helped me to be more prepared for WorldSkills Jamaica and WorldSkills International,” he said. “And combined with my training, my long training at the different HEART campuses, I hope and I believe that they will be enough for my team, myself and Ranjay, to carry home a medal for the country.”