Flavia Nakaayi is preparing to compete at the WorldSkills International Competition set for 22–27 September 2026 in Shanghai, China, where more than 1,400 young skilled professionals from over 70 countries and regions will compete for world medals across dozens of skills.
Nakaayi will compete in nursing category.
Nakaayi’s journey to that stage began at Kabale School of Comprehensive Nursing in Kabale district, south western Uganda, where she is training for her certificate. When her school announced an upcoming WorldSkills regional competition, Nakaayi put in a full week of intensive practice ahead of the contest — a commitment that set the tone for everything that followed.
That preparation paid off. She emerged best in the nursing category at the regional level, then advanced to the National Health Skills Competition, where she won gold. The victory earned her selection to represent Uganda in the nursing category at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
In preparation for Shanghai, Nakaayi is currently undergoing practical training at Kibuli Muslim Hospital and Kawempe National Referral Hospital. Each stage of the journey — regional, national, and now international preparation — has pushed her technical competence a step further, turning classroom training into the kind of hands-on mastery the competition demands.
For Nakaayi, the experience has reinforced something she is keen to pass on to other young people weighing their options.
“TVET is not a second choice; it is actually a pathway to success,” she said.
She is equally direct about what that pathway can deliver in practical terms. “Skills can bring money into your hands,” Nakaayi said, pointing to technical and vocational training as a route into steady income rather than a fallback option.
That belief extends beyond employment alone. In her view, skills training does more than prepare young people to be hired — it equips them to build something of their own.
“TVET empowers young people with practical skills which enable them secure jobs and/or create their own employment,” she said, underscoring the dual promise of TVET as a pipeline to both jobs and entrepreneurship for youth.
As she prepares for the global skills stage, Nakaayi has set a goal: “At WorldSkills Shanghai, I want to demonstrate excellence in my skill,” she said.
Her run at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, she said, will encourage more young Ugandans to look at TVET not as a fallback, but as a genuine launchpad into employment and entrepreneurship.
