Skillaroos land in France to compete with the world’s best in skills at the 47th WorldSkills Competition, Lyon 2024

The world’s biggest skills competition has started with a bang, as Team Australia enters opening ceremony cheered on by President Emmanuel Macron

The road to Lyon began last week when our Skillaroos were farewelled by family, friends and supporters at an event hosted by WorldSkills Australia partner REECE at their main showroom in Melbourne.

All 32 Skillaroos and the rest of Team Australia (which includes their WorldSkills Expert mentors) departed for Lyon the following day.

Upon arrival in Lyon, the Skillaroos were filled with anticipation as they were shown through the competition spaces at Eurexpo, Lyon. The space is one of Europe’s top 15 exhibition venues and France’s leading exhibition venue outside Paris. The team familiarised themselves with the equipmentand got a feel for the space and later had the opportunity to be involved in a flag-raising ceremony.

Day one of competition began on 11 September with the team displaying great acts of comradery and sportsmanship. Team experts were supporting the Skillaroos to keep focused and encouraged them to put in to practice the skills developed over their two years of training. Overall, a monumental effort was presented by the entire team, which included a large volunteer workforce from across Australia.

Prior to day one of competition, an inspiring opening ceremony was held at LDLC Arena, Lyon’s largest event venue. The official Australian flag bearer, Jacob Dixon, was voted in by his teammates, and he proudly waved the flag as the Skillaroos entered the arena. In the crowd, cheers from the official Skillaroo’s Supporters squad could be heard including a group made up of teachers, mentors, parents, government and industry. Additional highlights include the Parade of Nations and the WorldSkills Oath, which commits competitors to uphold exemplary sportsmanship.

Back in Australia, Minister for Skills and Training the Honourable Andrew Giles MP wished the team well “Like our Olympians and Paralympians, our Skillaroos are taking to the world stage in France to showcase years of hard work and excellence, only in this case, in vocational education and training (VET). We can’t wait to see how our home-grown Skillaroos go, and we wish them all the best in Lyon.”

The competition will continue over the next three days, marking years of dedication and preparation coming to fruition.

Trevor Schwenke WorldSkills Australia’s CEO shared from Lyon,

“Witnessing the world’s top talent converge has been an extraordinary experience. The green and gold of our Skillaroo team have shone brightly among the international competitors. Just like the kangaroo emblem on their uniforms, our team stands with unwavering pride and strength. I am confident they will bring immense pride to their country and their team and wish them well in the competition.”