The ongoing 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France is offering a stage for top talents from across the world to showcase their vocational expertise, with Chinese coaches highlighting the chance to influence industry standards around the world.
Starting from Wednesday, the four-day event sees some 1,400 contestants compete in 59 skill categories across six major sectors such as Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Creative Arts and Fashion, and Social and Personal Services.
The Social and Personal Services sector, which encompasses beauty therapy, hairdressing, cooking, restaurant service, hotel reception, and health and social care, has drawn significant attention. The beauty and hairdressing categories, in particular, have captivated the largest crowds of spectators and volunteers eager to experience the services.
Wang Pei, the coach for the Chinese team in the beauty therapy category, told CCTV that every detail matters in the competition.
"For instance, after doing a whole set of preparations, if a piece of paper is accidentally dropped or if a sanitizing step is missed, it could result in point deductions," said Wang.
According to the coach, adjustments are made to the competition rules for every edition. The biggest challenge this year is the inclusion of male skincare.
"Now there are many men who are attentive to skincare and show interest in the beauty industry, so we're incorporating more real-world practices from beauty salons into our competition," she said.
Adjacent to the beauty arena, the restaurant service competition tests skills such as fruit platter preparation, coffee brewing, cocktail mixing and wine tasting, and contestants' reaction to various situations when serving the guests.
"The challenging part of [wine tasting] is identifying the grape varieties based on the wine's taste and color. We prepare contestants by advising them against spicy foods one month in advance to keep their senses of taste and smell sharp," said Chen Yun, coach of China's delegation for restaurant service.
Another coach stressed that these competitions, reflecting the latest trends in global occupations, provide valuable opportunities for young professionals to measure their skills against industry standards.
"Whether for training students or industry professionals, the WorldSkills standards and normative procedures are highly applicable to real-life scenarios. We aim to set and influence industry standards through the WorldSkills Competition," said Nie Feng, coach of China's delegation for hairdressing.
China has sent a contingent of 68 competitors, comprising 58 men and 10 women, with an average age of 22. They will participate in contests in all the skill categories, according to the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
Chinese teams eager to set industry standards at 47th WorldSkills Competition
Chinese teams eager to set industry standards at 47th WorldSkills Competition
