The ongoing 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France, has set high requirements for contestants while providing a platform for the application of production technologies, said a coach from the Chinese delegation.
Formerly known as the International Vocational Training Organization, WorldSkills is an international charity that organizes national championships for vocational skills. Every two years, the organization hosts a competition, attracting competitors from around the world.
This year's competition is scheduled to run from Wednesday to Saturday. It features around 1,400 contestants competing in 59 skill categories across six major sectors such as Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Creative Arts and Fashion, and Social and Personal Services.
China has sent a contingent of 68 competitors, comprising 58 men and 10 women, with an average age of 22. The participants are competing in all the skill categories, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
Tian Zhenji claimed a gold medal in the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milling category at the 45th WorldSkills Competition in 2019. Now he is the coach for the Chinese team in the CNC milling category.
CNC Milling is a subtractive manufacturing process that uses computer-controlled machines to remove material from a block of raw substrate and shape it into a finished part.
Tian said this year's competition places higher demands on contestants.
"In the past, we needed to make just one part during the competition, but now we need to make more parts or make parts that are interconnected with each other. So we obviously feel the competition has become increasingly difficult as it requires us to produce parts featuring higher precision," said Tian Zhenji.
Like Tian, many people who won honor at the WorldSkills Competition have shouldered responsibilities of nurturing new contestants and helping them apply technologies into production.
"The number of skilled workers, especially skilled workers who have mastered a certain level of skills, is relatively low in many enterprises. Thanks to the platform provided by the WorldSkills Competition, we can align school training with factory production. We can help nurture students from China's vocational schools and sent more skilled talents to enterprises," said Tian.
47th WorldSkills Competition provides platform for technology application: Chinese coach
