Behind the scenes in the workshops at WorldSkills Lyon 2024

Preparing for a skill competition

WorldSkills Lyon 2024 will host 59 skill competitions and three exhibition skills. That means that over 60 Skill Management Teams have been hard at work planning for this all-important week of skills excellence. But when does the planning begin?

Tanus Saab is Chief Expert for Floristry and works with Attila Boros, Skill Competition Manager for Floristry. Tanus reflects, “I feel I have been planning for this all my life. I grew up in a flower shop. My parents were florists. I have competed, I have been an Expert, and I have learned from other competitions I have been part of. Both Attila and I are bringing all of this learning to WorldSkills Lyon 2024. As well as drawing on the WorldSkills Occupational Standards and preparing the Standard Assessment Guides, we have created a “glossary” to help our Experts interpret the very specific language of our skill and the international trends that are around us, so they can carefully assess the creativity and the technicality of floristry and be fair in their scoring.”

Nicolas Godel is Chief Expert for Mechatronics and works with Michael Linn, Skill Competition Manager for Mechatronics. They also work together at Festo, one of WorldSkills Global Partners. Nicolas reflects, “During WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, we had a great skill competition in Stuttgart. Straight after, Michael and I reflected individually on what went well and what we could improve. We then came back together to exchange ideas. Working in the same organization makes it easy for us to act quickly on these ideas and agree what new elements we want to introduce. We then take these ideas to the other Experts in online forums to explain what will be new for WorldSkills Lyon 2024, and why.”

The different roles in a workshop

Every Skill Management Team is responsible for a host of roles and responsibilities in the run-up to the Competition and in the workshop itself. But what does a Skill Competition Manager and a Chief Expert do and how do they work together?

Michael believes success comes when the roles are balanced saying, “As Skill Competition Manager, I prepare everything that will be in front of people in the workshop, so the layout and the equipment they need to use. I also work closely with WorldSkills International and the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 Organizer to discuss any changes to the rules and infrastructure, and how we plan to use the space. Nicolas as Chief Expert looks after the Mandatory Assessment Training for the Experts. When we get to Lyon, he will take over running the skill competition on-site, as he should. He takes the lead there but knows he can always come back to me and we will support each other.”

Jyothi Collins, Chief Expert for Jewellery works with Darren May, Skills Competition Manager for Jewellery. They were a Competitor and Expert for WorldSkills Australia when Jyothi competed at WorldSkills São Paulo 2015. She says, “Darren and I are fortunate that we do work so well together. We take the pressure off each other. It is my job to make sure the skill competition runs well. Darren helps me by acting as an advisor, asking the right questions and helping reach resolutions. As a Chief Expert, people often forget we have our own Competitor to coach, so it can be a lot to manage. To be successful, we have to be a very focused and cohesive team.”

Thomas Seng Hin Mak is the Skill Competition Manager for Web Technologies and works with Seung-lyul Ryu, Chief Expert faor Web Technologies. They both agree that to deliver a fair skill competition requires integrity and transparency. They say, “We work together to uphold the highest levels of honesty, objectivity, and fairness. Any decisions related to the skill competition have to be made efficiently, preferably by unanimous agreement or, if not, by a vote among Experts to reach a majority. We both have good communication skills, particularly in English, which help us liaise between the Experts, the Director of Skills Competitions, and the Competitions Committee.”

Countdown to the Competition

With only days to go until the start of WorldSkills Lyon 2024, much of the planning will be complete. What last minute preparations are happening now, and what takes place in the workshops in the days before the Competition officially begins?

Nicolas says, “With one month to go, I admit that I feel a little more nervous and I get even more precise in my preparations. I start to think about what will be important to say when I meet all the Experts in the workshop. I use the days before the Competition to make sure we Experts all have the same goals. For me it is vital that everyone understands their roles, like who will be the timekeeper, and who will assess each module. But I also want us to get to know each other better and feel like a family. We are only together for ten days so team spirit is very important.”

Jyothi remembers, “Because I competed too, I know how hard the Competitors will have been working and the hours they will have put in. I want it to be fair for everyone. That is why the Mandatory Assessment Training is so important when we get there, so I can know for sure that every Expert is assessing criteria equally and that people are marking consistently. So we will be running hands-on training. There will be physical pieces for them to assess, and the Experts themselves will have to produce a small technical piece to prove to us that they have this understanding and can do it themselves. It puts them in the Competitors’ shoes so they can feel the nerves a bit too!”

The workshop and equipment

Every Test Project that the Competitors work on is unique to this Competition, and every workshop is different. Can you tell us a little bit more about your skill competition and how it will run?

Michael describes the scale of the workshop, saying, “Our workshop covers 1,500m2 and will be filled with over 120 people, including Competitors, Experts, Members, and translators. In our skill, each Competitor will have the same equipment to use at the same time. It has come from Festo, who we work for and who is sponsor of the skill competition. While the equipment is a scaled-down version of a production machine, it has the same industrial components and we will need to test them all and make sure they are working, and that our Experts and Competitors know how to use them. Over the four days, our Competitors will be asked to design and build a production line and then expand it with additional components before optimizing it.”

Tanus and Attila have created a workshop that mirrors a flower shop. Tanus says, “We work with nature and we want to share its beauty with everyone at the Competition. We have created a shop window to display the Test Project arrangements, so all visitors can see and interact with their work and take pictures. It builds pride in the Competitors, as they will know their work is being admired over the four days and not just by the judges. It is important for us that the workshop is more than just a space to compete. It should be a place to bring joy, and for the Competitors to promote themselves, and maybe even attract a new employer or secure more support beyond Lyon.”

In the Web Technologies workshop there is no access to the internet, to ensure fairness and prevent potential cheating. This requires Thomas and Seung-lyul to create an environment that is as close as possible to the one Competitors are used to. Seung-lyul explains, “Having no internet forces the Competitors to work under different conditions from their usual environment. They cannot access open-source libraries, APIs, or frameworks that are typically available. To help them demonstrate their true capabilities, Thomas and I prepare things like offline manuals and resources they can use, and make sure everyone knows beforehand what will be available.”

Solving challenges

Part of the preparation involves anticipating issues and solving them before they arise. What have been some of the challenges to overcome when preparing for WorldSkills Lyon 2024?

Darren says, “This year, we have some new equipment and new criteria for assessment around “Use of Material”. With sustainability at the forefront now, we believe a jeweller should know how to be economical with their use of material that is worth a lot of money per gram. By bringing in this new criterion, we have improved the Sustainability rating of our Test Project, which is great. But of course whenever you bring something in that is new, you also have to help everyone through the change and bring people along with you. That represents a bit of an unknown for us at this stage.”

Nicolas will be getting ready to think on his feet. He says, “This year, we have introduced a new digital process to share the Test Project information with the Competitors to improve communication and efficiency in the workshop. But I realise that I will need to spend some introducing this system to interpreters so they are clear on the process too. I also know that nearly two-thirds of people in the workshop are brand new to a WorldSkills Competition this year, and so I am expecting to get questions every five minutes. But I love that part of my role and helping quickly find a solution.”

Tanus says they have been thinking about sustainability and protecting nature which is very important for the skill competition and the flower industry overall. He says, “We want to reduce the waste. So a big part of our planning has been creating a cold room space in Eurexpo to preserve the flowers and plants. We know how to do this in our daily jobs but doing this in Eurexpo has been challenging. Luckily, the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 Competition Organizer has done a huge amount to make this happen. We also have to be careful and clear about health and safety as Competitors are using sharp tools. We will be emphasizing to them that their well-being is the most important thing of all.”

Hopes for WorldSkills Lyon 2024

While it may be hard to look beyond the start of the Competition, what are some of your hopes and goals for WorldSkills Lyon 2024 and what do you want people to take away from their time in your workshop?

Michael says, “I always enjoy the new challenge that WorldSkills represents. I have been involved in WorldSkills for many years, but there are always new people to meet, new machinery and technologies to introduce, and new industry needs to respond to. Having experience definitely helps make things clearer for people each time. I want to make sure I continue to take my experience from the past and bring it to Lyon to make sure every new experience we create is professional and happy for Competitors and Experts.”

Seung-lyul agrees. He says, “We will prepare thoroughly and conduct the skill competition brilliantly to make sure that everyone can smile in the end. We hope that the Competition will go beyond just being a contest, and help participants make friends and exchange skills and cultures in line with the motto ‘Where there is Skill, There is a Way’."

Tanus looks further beyond the Competition saying, “Yes, we compete, but for me it is all about what we share while we are together. Sharing knowledge, sharing friendships, sharing ideas – that is how we will make our business better, because these young people are the future of our industries.”

Find out more about skills competitions.

WorldSkills Lyon 2024

WorldSkills Lyon 2024, 10 to 15 September, is the world’s largest international skills competition, featuring 1,400 Competitors from almost 70 countries and regions. The 47th WorldSkills Competition showcases excellence in young skilled talent, while also bringing industry, education, and government leaders together to move skills to the top of the global agenda. WorldSkills is highlighting the critical role skills play in addressing global challenges, boosting economies and industries, and promoting excellence.