Global Skills Challenge 2024

The world’s best apprentices and young professionals are coming to Australia to put their skills to the test

Global Skills Challenge to be the biggest international skills excellence event to be held in Australia in 2024

In May, Melbourne will play host to an international contingent of over 400 of the world’s best young apprentices, trainees, and young professionals, and their support teams, for the Global Skills Challenge.

The four-day event (23-26 May) is a friendly competition in which competitors will take part in a simulated competition designed to put their skills to the test in their chosen skill or trade. The event is designed to prepare them for WorldSkills’ 47th International Competition, taking place in the French city of Lyon in September.

Competitors from 19 countries will take part in the Global Skills Challenge, with the United States of America, Chinese Taipei, the United Kingdom, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Japan, and France among those attending.

The 33 members of Team Australia – aka the Skillaroos – will hope to perform strongly in front of their home crowd before they depart to take on the world’s best in their chosen skill in Lyon. Every participating competitor is accompanied by their Expert (Skill Practitioner) who oversees their training and is a highly regarded and qualified member of the country they are representing’s skills sector.

Selection in Team Australia is the culmination of a two-year journey, beginning with a regional competition in 2022 that involved more than 3,000 competitors across Australia, with eligible representatives from each State and Territory going on to compete at the 2023 National Championships before being selected in Team Australia.

Global Skills competitions will be spread across seven Vocational Educational Training locations, with 30 skills represented, including plumbing, carpentry, cooking, cyber security, graphic design technology, mechatronics, car painting and healthcare.  

The Global Skills Challenge and International Competition aim to benchmark young Australians against their global peers to understand the level of Skills Excellence produced in Australia and demonstrate the excellence that can be achieved when choosing a skill-based career.

More details on the 2024 Team Australia and the Skillaroos, including competitor profiles, can be found at www.worldskills.org.au/competitions/lyon-france.

WorldSkills Australia thanks the Victorian Government for its support of the Global Skills Challenge and the Federal and State and Territory Governments, along with its corporate partners, for supporting the broader program, which has helped over 100,000 people compete in national and international skill competitions.

Quotes attributable to WorldSkills Australia CEO, Trevor Schwenke

“We can’t wait to welcome this huge cohort of competitors to Australia for what should be an electric four days of heated, but friendly, competition.

With the International competition fast approaching, this event will give competitors a chance to size up their opponents, experience the thrill and pressure of a WorldSkills competition, and make some new friends along the way.

Events like this are a great way to showcase the calibre of Australia’s VET Sector, our Skills Practitioners who develop the future leaders of Australia’s skills sector, while concurrently benchmarking Australia’s global standing.

It is through this continuous benchmarking we not only work towards addressing the skills gap facing our nation but strive to ensure we remain amongst the world’s best.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Skills and TAFE, Gayle Tierney

“The Global Skills challenge showcases Victoria’s world-class TAFE and training sector, while highlighting the talent of our apprentices, trainees and students.

Victoria is proud to host competitors from all over the world at our TAFEs for the Global Skills Challenge as they prepare for the International WorldSkills Competition in Lyon in September. Congratulations and best of luck to the Victorian WorldSkills competitors, their mentors, and all Skillaroos.”