Congratulations – the National Team shines at WorldSkills

The 47th edition of WorldSkills took place in Lyon from 10 to 15 September 2024. The world championships bring together professional talents from over 65 countries.

The SwissSkills National Team, consisting of 45 talented vocational champions, took part as one of the best in the world. The Swiss team competed and demonstrated its collective skills in 41 skill categories out of a total of 62 in the fields of construction and building technology, creative arts and fashion, information and communication technology, manufacturing and engineering technology, social and personal services, transportation and logistics.

The objective was clear – and ambitious: the Swiss national team wanted to build on the success achieved at the 2023 European championships – Switzerland’s best result so far with 15 gold medals. With seven gold, seven silver, one bronze and twenty-one “Medals of Excellence”, Switzerland was once again the best European country. As well as delivering a great medal haul, the participants enjoyed a unique team experience and will help to maintain the ongoing appeal of the championships. Lara Kaufmann, representing Car Painting, said: “By taking part in WorldSkills, I want to inspire other young people.”

No pain, no gain: With around 1,000 hours of preparation in their professions – including mental coaching on presenting flawless work under pressure, media coaching and public appearances –, the SwissSkills National Team underwent intense preparation in cooperation with experts, employers and representatives of professional associations. A week beforehand, team members recharged their batteries for the demanding competition days at a “pre-camp” near Geneva. The final preparations took place on site during a “familiarization day” that allowed participants to discover their workplace for the competition and to check their own tools and materials.

Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin was present to cheer on the Swiss delegation at this year’s edition of the event in Lyon, along with around 2,000 fans of some 1,500 participants overall. “Our companies are interested in good training and further education so that they know they will have qualified specialists in their industry. Our dual education system forms the basis for this,” said the Minister of Economic Affairs. UBS has been a main partner of the SwissSkills initiative since 2017 and would like to thank the Swiss national team for its outstanding commitment. It represented Switzerland in an exemplary manner again this year. These young talents will become the skilled workers of tomorrow. We wish each and every participant continued success in their career.