Team China recently excelled at the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France, securing an impressive 36 gold, nine silver, and four bronze medals. They achieved the top position in both the gold medal count and the overall medal standings.
Chinese competitors showcased their prowess in Water Technology, requiring expertise in chemistry, biology, and electrical engineering. One competitor achieved a dimensional tolerance of plus or minus 0.002 millimetres, clinching the championship in Computer Numerical Control Milling. Additionally, China triumphed in Automobile Technology due to the dedication of a competitor who trained for 14 hours each day.
The WorldSkills Competition is the largest and most influential vocational skills event globally, representing advanced standards in skill development. This was the seventh participation for Chinese competitors, whose performance highlighted significant improvements in China’s vocational capabilities and the quality of its talent pool.
Sixty-Eight Chinese participants took part in all 59 categories of the event, the highest number for the Chinese delegation to date. They achieved a new record for gold medals won, with some individuals honoured with the prestigious Albert Vidal Award.
The average age of Chinese competitors was 22, and many first-time participants secured top placements, illustrating the immense potential of China’s talent pool.
Under the auspices of the WorldSkills Competition, China is hosting various types of skills competitions at all levels, thereby enhancing a skills competition system with Chinese characteristics. These events provide a platform for skilled individuals to showcase their talents, facilitate exchanges, and encourage workers to further develop their skills, playing a vital role in promoting employment and talent cultivation.
Skills competitions foster success through skill development and motivate participants to contribute to their country. They inspire young people to pursue their vocational aspirations.
Zhang Yupeng, the gold medal winner in Jewellery at the 47th WorldSkills Competition, believes that skills empower individuals to build a better future and that achieving success through skill development is entirely possible. Similarly, silver medalist Hu Zehong from the Welding category is determined to realise his ideals through his skills.
By grounding themselves in reality and honing their specific skills, individuals can excel in any profession and make substantial contributions.
In recent years, China has actively promoted skills competitions, reflecting a societal emphasis on valuing, utilising, and respecting skills.
Serving as a guiding light, these competitions help many people, particularly the youth, recognise that “those with skills can achieve success.” This strengthens their professional identity and reinforces the belief that possessing skills leads to good employment opportunities, while mastery of high-level skills opens the door to even better prospects.
Skills competitions are closely aligned with the needs of economic and social development, promoting a more effective match between job supply and demand. At this year’s WorldSkills Competition, six categories made their debut, including Renewable Energy and Robot Systems Integration, reflecting emerging hotspots and trends in industrial transformation and upgrading.
Currently, the accelerated development of new quality productive forces and the emergence of new industries, technologies, and professions are placing greater demands on workers’ skill levels. Skill competitions adapt dynamically to these industry requirements, effectively guiding educational institutions and enterprises to recognise market changes and employment opportunities, thereby cultivating new types of skilled talent.
For instance, some vocational schools in Guangdong province in southern China have incorporated WorldSkills Competition standards into their teaching activities, launching new majors based on these competition categories. This approach enhances students’ professional skills and better prepares them for employment.
This year, a wide array of skills competitions has been held across China, including the National Rural Revitalisation Vocational Skills Competition, the Belt and Road International Skills Competition, and the Yellow River Basin Vocational Skills Competition, creating a strong atmosphere for skill development.
Soon, the 48th WorldSkills Competition will take place in Shanghai, which is expected to nurture even more high-level skilled talent.
