Apprentice, WorldSkills Champion employed by former WorldSkills Champion

Aapo Paunonen was recently appointed as the WorldSkills Champions Trust representative for Europe. Competing in CNC Milling as part of the Finnish team, he earned a Medallion for Excellence at WorldSkills Lyon 2024. This September, he will once again put his skills to the test at EuroSkills Herning 2025.

Aapo studied at Savon Vocational College in Eastern Finland. When he was exploring his options after middle school, he realized that traditional general education wasn’t the right path for him. Instead, he wanted to learn by doing and gain hands-on experience from skilled professionals. He chose an apprenticeship in the field of metalworking, where he discovered CNC Machining and developed a deep passion for it.

“It’s a difficult skill that requires precision and an eye for detail. You never stop learning and improving,” he says.

Aapo’s vocational school teacher, a former WorldSkills Competitor, introduced him to Finland’s national skills competition, Taitaja 2022. 

“That got me hooked on the Competition,” he recalls. Determined to go further, he trained for the global stage. In 2023, he qualified for WorldSkills and began intensive preparation – juggling work and Finland’s compulsory military service.

For Aapo, WorldSkills is more than a Competition; it’s a unique experience. “Seeing everyone from all over the world coming together, speaking all the different languages, but united by our trade. And even if you’ve only just met, you can talk for hours,” he says, remembering the party after the Closing Ceremony, celebrating everyone’s hard work, the success of having come this far, whatever the result.

The camaraderie he felt at WorldSkills would shape his career. His current employer is a WorldSkills Champion who competed at WorldSkills London 2011 and founded a successful company. Aapo saw on LinkedIn that he was looking for talent and gave him a call.

“Apparently, he had been trying to get in touch with me but couldn’t find my number. He had seen that I competed, and the stuff I do so, he wanted to hire me!” says Aapo, who feels lucky to be able to now train under him. “He is extremely dedicated and knows about this industry more than any other boss I’ve worked with or heard of. He is the most skilled person I’ve ever met.”

Aapo is now pursuing a programme leading to a specialist vocational qualification, with the goal of teaching and passing on his skills to the next generation. He deeply believes that vocational education offers opportunities for self-development and growth. This includes the possibility of continuing your studies towards higher education.

This is one of the messages he hopes to spread during his term as a WorldSkills Champions Trust representative. He wants to change the way people look at vocational education – often seen as a back-up plan – and inspire young people to study and do things they are passionate about. Passion, not duty, will make them great at what they do.