26 June 2024

WorldSkills Lyon 2024 named a 'Grande Cause Nationale' in France

The 47th WorldSkills Competition has received the honour and distinction of becoming a Grande Cause Nationale for 2024 in France, as recognition of the way sport and skills can build ambition and raise the bar for everyone.

Each year, the Government of France spotlights a specific social issue of public interest and value for priority status - known as a Grande Cause Nationale (or Grand National Cause). This year “Physical and Sporting Activity” has been named as the Grande Cause Nationale, the first time in the 46-year history of the initiative. The French Ministry of Sport has awarded this title to WorldSkills Lyon 2024 in recognition of its Sports and Skills Programme.

The prestigious award puts WorldSkills Lyon 2024 alongside the other two momentous events taking place in France between July and September- the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The 47th WorldSkills Competition will be held in Lyon between 10 to 15 September and is a celebration of skills excellence. It recognizes the hard work, dedication, and achievements of 1,400 of the world’s most skilled young people from over 70 countries.

Max Roche, President of the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 Organizing Committee, says, “To receive the Grande Cause Nationale is incredible. Our hope is that this award will shine an even greater spotlight on those young people who are aiming high through skills. Just like the Olympians and Paralympians in Paris, these young Champions do not give up. Anyone who comes to WorldSkills Lyon 2024 will agree that sport and skills both have the power to equip future generations with the knowledge, courage and confidence they need to persevere through the toughest challenges.”

WorldSkills Lyon 2024 is using its Sports and Skills programme to promote the many benefits of high-performance activities in society, and how they can drive inclusion and productivity at work or in day-to-day life. To help, they have been busy building strong partnerships with many of the local sports clubs and teams around Lyon including the LDLC ASVEL elite women’s basketball club, the ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin handball team, the LOU rugby club, Lyon Athletics, and the Pôle France Gymnastics club, as well as the Sport dans la Ville association.

Athletes have also been lending their support to the initiative, including Paoline Salagnac, a former international professional basketball player, silver medallist at EuroBasket 2015, and former French basketball champion. She believes the world of sport is intertwined with the world of TVET, saying, “The parallels between sport and WorldSkills are obvious. It is the same involvement, the same commitment and, above all, it is about building self-confidence.”

The team at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 agree. Max reflects, “Just like sport, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) requires young people to draw on qualities like teamwork, goal setting, determination and respect. Our business leaders need these life skills from their workforce so they can help tackle urgent global issues such as climate breakdown, the pace of digital transformation, and widening social injustices. We believe that if we can share learnings between skills and sport, we can make our communities more resilient, our industries more successful, and our country more productive.”