Chinese Taipei celebrates 50 years of WorldSkills

Fifty years ago a team of young people from Chinese Taipei made their first appearance at a WorldSkills Competition. Half a century after the Competition in Tokyo, the 14th Member of WorldSkills celebrated the landmark anniversary at its National Skills Competition.

Throughout the years, Chinese Taipei has been a prominent Member of WorldSkills, winning its first gold medal at Munich in 1973 and hosting the 1993 Competition, taking home 18 gold and 11 silver medals. Thanks to such ferocious success, Chinese Taipei, alongside Korea and Japan, became known as the “Three Tigers” of WorldSkills.

Chinese Taipei continues to go from strength to strength. Last year saw the opening of the second WorldSkills Capacity Building Centre, developed with the country's Workforce Development Agency, to support skills training and education in developing countries.

The current WorldSkills Board includes San-Quei Lin, Vice Minister, Ministry of Labor in Taiwan, who is responsible for Strategic Development.

To celebrate the 50-year milestone, Chinese Taipei hosted a flag relay in the run up to its 2020 National Skills Week culminating in a colourful Opening Ceremony on 17 September. The event took place at the Nangang Exhibition Hall at the World Trade Center in Taipei with the capital city hosting a national competition for the first time. A record 948 Competitors were battling for a place on the team for WorldSkills Shanghai 2021.

This year also saw the first Junior Skills competition, with 115 Competitors from 13 to 15 years old taking part in 13 skills, with the aim of motivating young people from an early age.

With one of the world’s lowest rates of COVID-19 infection, the National Skills Competition was able to welcome visitors as well as competitors. WorldSkills acting president Chris Humphries gave a welcome speech via a video link.