Darragh Brett, an apprentice in joinery from SETU, will travel to Shanghai to compete at WorldSkills 2026.
Darragh Brett is set to compete in the joinery competition in the National Exhibition and Convention Centre for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 from September 23 to 26.
Training for Shanghai
Darragh competed and won the joinery category of WorldSkills Ireland in 2024 over the six other competitors. In 2025, he competed against the 2025 category winner to secure his place at the international competition.
Now set to represent Team Ireland, Darragh is eager to keep practicing his craft ahead of the competition, sharing, “Training is going well. I have around eight weeks left which doesn’t feel like a lot of time, but I am starting to see an improvement in myself, although it is slow. It is good to see the improvement and hopefully I will make less mistakes as the training goes on.”
Hopes for the competition
I hope to do my best in the competition. I hope to do well and get a medallion of excellence. You have to go with the aim to win, otherwise there is no point but I know the competition will be tough.
Darragh Brett SETU Apprentice
Passion for joinery
Having always had a passion for the practical subjects in school, Darragh knew from a young age that he wanted to complete an apprenticeship.
When speaking about what he loves most about his craft, Darragh shared, “I love the practical and problem-solving element of joinery. I enjoy working with my hands and making something tangible. It’s great to be able to stand back and look at a wardrobe, door or unit that you made and see how well it came out. It is nice to know that something you made, will last for years to come.”
Future ambitions and reflecting on the past
With Darragh set to finish his apprenticeship in late 2026, he hopes to start his own joinery business.
As he nears the final chapter of his apprenticeship, Darragh reflects on the past, stating, “Looking back, I first visited the WorldSkills Ireland competition in the RDS in 2019 as a student and I never would have thought I would be where I am now.”
SETU has a longstanding history of apprenticeship training across its campuses in the southeast. Apprenticeship training in Ireland is linked to SOLAS through Generation Apprenticeship, a programme dedicated to building valuable work-ready skills in a chosen occupation through structured education and training.