WorldSkills Lyon 2024 in numbers

More than five years in the making, the 47th WorldSkills Competition will be the biggest skills event in the world. With over a quarter of a million people expected to take part between 10 to 15 September at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, nothing can be done by halves.

People

At the heart of the Competition are the young, skilled people getting ready to stand on a global stage and show how talented they are. 1,400 Competitors will be arriving in Lyon supported by 1,300 Experts. Of those Experts, 150 were former WorldSkills Competitors.

Over 12,000 accreditations will be given out over the six days and more than 250,000 visitors from over 90 countries are expected to take part in the event and surrounding activities.

In addition, WorldSkills Lyon 2024 has been working with 52 local French schools and invited more than 5,000 students to take part in One School One Country and have been paired with a WorldSkills team. More than 75,000 students from across France will attend the event for an interactive career exploration event like no other.

The largest team is China, with 68 Competitors in all 59 Official skill competitions. The host country of France also has an impressive team with 63 Competitors in 54 skill competitions.

Behind the scenes, 1,200 Volunteers are confirmed, not including those coming with WorldSkills Members, Partners, and Skill Management Teams. These additional volunteers will be offering nearly 6,000 hours of time for free to help run the event, with nearly 500 from countries other than France. Volunteers are all ages, but the highest proportion are aged 18 to 30 years old. There is 50:50 representation between women and men volunteers.

Skill competitions

Competitors from 69 Member countries and regions are competing at WorldSkills Lyon 2024.

There are 62 skill competitions, including 59 Official skills and 3 Exhibition skills.

In 2024, six skill competitions will debut at a centralised WorldSkills Competition. The skill competitions took place in WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition when the event was hosted in 15 countries and regions and 26 cities.

Those skills are:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Digital Construction
• Industrial Design Technology
• Optoelectronic Technology
• Renewable Energy
• Robot Systems Integration

The event is possible thanks to over 200 Sponsors and Partners, including 28 Global Partners who have contributed equipment, tools, cash, software, and services.

For the sixth WorldSkills Competition in a row, Samsung will be the Overall Event Presenter.

Venues and experiences

Eurexpo Lyon covers 140,000m2 which is the same as 26 football pitches. It will be divided into seven halls that house 59 Official skill competitions and 3 Exhibition skill competitions. There will also be 51 Try-a-Skills available for visitors to test their own skills.

The Opening Ceremony is being held at LDLC Arena which is 14,500m2 and can seat up to 16,000 people. The Closing Ceremony is being held at OL Stadium which covers 53,700m2 and seats up to 60,000 people.

Media

Over 900 accredited media, representing 44 countries and regions will cover the event.

WorldSkills International and WorldSkills Lyon 2024 will process over 30,000 photos and produce over 1,500 videos, posts, and articles during the Competition.

Broadcasting on YouTube of the Ceremonies, Conference, and Competition will provide over 20 hours of live event coverage.

Food and beverage

Keeping everyone fed and watered is vital to keeping energy levels high. The delegate restaurant in Eurexpo Lyon is big enough to seat 3,000 people. There are two additional restaurants, five lounge areas, two picnic areas for students, two distinct food truck areas, and a Conference catering area. Over the course of the Competition, around 112,000 meals will be prepared and more than 175,000 coffees served.

Travel and accommodation

For many of the Competitors, this will be their first time in Europe and potentially their first trip overseas. Lyon will be giving them a warm welcome. Across the city, from the registered delegations alone 5,300 hotel rooms will be home to visitors for a combined 42,000 nights.

Medals

All young people who compete at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 are WorldSkills Champions. Whether they are awarded a medal or not, they are already the best in their countries and regions. For those who perform best during the Competition, there will be over 320 medals ready and waiting to be handed out at the Closing Ceremony, along with the prestigious Albert Vidal Award for the Competitor with the highest points. The award is named in honour of the founder of WorldSkills, Francisco Albert Vidal from Spain.

These statistics give just a taste of the size and scale that visitors can expect at WorldSkills Lyon 2024. The only thing impossible to count will be the memories made during the Competition. Those will be infinite and will last a lifetime.

To read more about the programme for the 47th WorldSkills Competition and to find out how to be part of the numbers, visit the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 website.