7 September 2024
A venue fit for the world’s largest skills competition
The stage is set and the final touches are being made. As thousands of people arrive in Lyon, including Competitors, Experts, and Partners, it is time to lift the lid on the immense preparations that have gone into the biggest skills event on the planet.
In just a few short days, Eurexpo Lyon will welcome 1,400 Competitors supported by 1,300 Experts. All are ready to put years of training into practice. Already crowned national Champions, these young skilled people will be shoulder to shoulder with Competitors from almost 70 countries and regions in an arena bigger than 26 football pitches.
WorldSkills Lyon 2024 will include 59 Official Skills and three Exhibitions Skills. From Bakery and Bricklaying to Water Technology and Welding, each skill requires its own complex equipment and infrastructure meticulously prepared by Skill Management Teams. To house this scale of skill competitions, the 140,000m2 of Eurexpo Lyon has been divided into seven sector villages.
Attila Boros, Skills Competition Manager for Floristry, describes the careful thought that has had to go into preserving flowers and plants for the four days of the Competition. He says, “We are working with nature and we want to ensure we do not have any waste. We try to do things that show we protect nature and can be sustainable in this Competition. So we need to have a much colder room to preserve the flowers. Even though we work this way in our own professions, it can be a challenge to manage it in a skill competition workshop. Luckily, the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 Competition Organizer has been great at helping us prepare the right space.”
It has been a different challenge for Michael Linn, Skill Competition Manager for Mechatronics, who has 36 teams competing this year. With two Competitors per team plus Experts, he is expecting over 120 people in the workshop. He says, “Our workshop is 1,500m2 so like a small village. Each Competitor has the same piece of equipment to work on at the same time. While scaled down compared to industrial machines, this machinery still takes a lot of space and set-up. People will need guidance on how to use it. It is a lot to manage.”
None of this would have been possible without support from thousands of dedicated skills volunteers who have given their time and effort over the last few years to ensure the smooth running of the 47th WorldSkills Competition. An incredible 1,300 Skill Competition Managers and Experts have been working tirelessly to bring the motto of WorldSkills Lyon 2024 to life: Where there is a skill, there is a way.
Jane Stokie, Director of Skills Competitions for WorldSkills International, said, “Our Skills Competition Managers, with their Experts, have put in a huge amount of hard work, and commitment to deliver WorldSkills Competition 2024. From the countless hours of planning and coordination to rigorous training programmes, every detail has been attended to with the utmost care. Everyone is now keen to get started.”
The same can be said for WorldSkills Partners. Alexander Amiri, Director of Sponsorship and Partnership for WorldSkills International, has nothing but gratitude for their support and investment. He says, “It is hard to describe the depth of investment of our Partners and sponsors. Each one of them is committed to skills and their contribution goes far beyond financial support. For the last two years, they have shared insights into how we ensure WorldSkills Lyon 2024 matches the needs of industry and have provided us with the best technology and equipment, all to bring out the best in our Competitors. Their support is invaluable.”
The people of Lyon have been equally busy preparing. Local businesses have been getting ready to make the most of the increase in visitors. Thousands of people are expected to descend on the city over the coming week for WorldSkills Lyon 2024 and WorldSkills Conference 2024, including over 75,000 students from schools and colleges in France and beyond. The event is building a sense of community pride and showcasing the city’s ability to host world-class events.
Preparing for WorldSkills Lyon 2024 has been a monumental task involving extensive planning, significant investment, and the collective effort of thousands of people. In a few days, the Competition will begin and one thing is certain: it will be an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
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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.