Experts hopeful after WorldSkills success

China's dominance at the 47th WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France, has reinforced its commitment to fostering skills-based careers and recognizing the value of vocational education, experts said.

Chinese participants took home 36 gold, nine silver and four bronze medals, along with eight medallions for excellence at the competition held earlier this month. With a delegation of 68 contestants, China had the largest number of entries across all 59 skill disciplines, highlighting its leadership in the global vocational skills arena.

One standout was Zhang Yupeng, who won the gold medal in the jewelry event.

He described the competition as the most challenging experience of his life, citing the intense pressure. Nevertheless, he was the only competitor to complete all assigned tasks, including creating a bird-themed hairpin featuring Chinese cultural elements.

Zhang, who teaches jewelry design and manufacturing at Beijing Arts & Design Technology Institute, said he found his passion by observing skilled artisans.

"There were several times when I thought about giving up due to unexpected difficulties. I worked for about five years, logging over 18,000 hours of practice," he said. "From knowing nothing to becoming a national-level expert, it feels like a dream. Truly, skills can change one's destiny, and success through skills is attainable."

Shawna Bourke, director of marketing and communications at WorldSkills International, praised China's systematic approach to developing skilled talent.

"China uses the WorldSkills Occupational Standards to skill up millions of young skilled people, creating a high level of talent and a pipeline for success in international skills competitions," she said.

The competition has also played a key role in elevating the status of trade skills, according to Simon Field, an independent expert on skills and director of Skills Policy, a consultancy in London. Field pointed out the challenges many countries, including China, face in encouraging young people to pursue skilled trades rather than traditional academic paths.

"One of the great achievements of World Skills is to enhance the status of trade skills by treating them as Olympic sports," he said. "I think China's achievements in WorldSkills should translate into a valuably enhanced view of vocational education and training in China."

Historically, fields such as law and finance have been seen as the most aspirational career paths for graduates in China. However, experts suggest China's recent success in vocational competitions could lead to a shift in this mindset.

Tom Harper, a China specialist at the University of East London, said that China's achievements at WorldSkills reflect the country's broader push toward technological development.

"China's recent success in the WorldSkills Competition can serve as an indication of the priorities for China's future development, which has placed a greater emphasis on technical skills and advanced technologies and less emphasis on more financial fields," he said. "As China evolves, more practical skills will gain greater traction among young Chinese."

He added that the competition mirrors the government's efforts to develop technological expertise, with the younger generation at the forefront of the transformation, moving away from traditional academic paths toward skills-based careers.

Cao Xuebing, a lecturer in human resource management at Keele University in Keele, England, said: "China's achievements at the Lyon competition will no doubt provide a unique experience in developing vocational education that can be shared by other countries.

"It's proof that the country's strategic investment into vocational education over the past few decades has paid off, and the success has far-reaching implications for socioeconomic development because skilled labor, which is central to developing human capital, is key for a country to gain a competitive advantage on the world stage."

Wang Qing, a professor of marketing and innovation at Warwick University in Coventry, England, echoed Cao's remarks.

"It's no surprise that China performed so well," she said. "The country has ample resources, experience and an efficient system for selecting and training outstanding candidates for international competitions like WorldSkills."

While Wang agrees that China's focus on vocational careers is gaining momentum, she cautions that more work is needed.

"The shift from an overemphasis on the highly competitive national higher education entrance exams to a more skills-based career approach is still in its early stages. This is a much-needed change for the sustainable development of China's economy," she said.

Wang emphasized that while the accolades from the WorldSkills Competition may inspire young people, changing the deep-rooted belief that university degrees are superior to vocational education will take time.

"These awards should have some positive impact on young people's career aspirations, but there is still a long way to go in terms of changing people's long-held beliefs about the value of universities versus vocational education and career paths," she added.

wangmingjie@mail.chinadailyuk.com