The WorldSkills 2024 competition brings together young people from all over the world to demonstrate their skills and competences in various professional areas. From hairdressing to landscaping, electronics or masonry. In this “Olympics” of vocational training, each of the national Skills champions met in Lyon, France, to decide who would be the world gold-winning students in each specialty.

PIHER has provided training and competition clamping tools to the Spanish participants Alfonso Calero Salado, from IES La Rosaleda, Málaga, and Arturo Maciá Marroquí IES Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, in the disciplines of cabinetmaking and carpentry respectively. Each of them managed to become national champions of the SpainSkills held last year and in this world tournament they competed against the winners from the rest of the countries.

Both Arturo and Alfonso gave their all during the four days of competition. The pressure and stress of this competition were proportional to the level of the event, which was much higher and more crowded than the national championship. In the end, they were unable to win a medal, but it was an intense experience and learning experience for each of them. The next event will be the EuropeSkills European Championship, which will be held next September in the Danish city of Herning, where they will have a new opportunity to represent vocational training in wood.

From PIHER we would like to thank Arturo and Alfonso for the example and effort they have shown during the competition and previously in the hours of training. We must also remember Josean Piñeiro and Joel Ferrero who acted as tutors in the cabinetmaking and carpentry categories supporting all the participants during the test. And finally, we would like to thank the teachers and family members who travelled to Lyon to support the participants during the hectic four days that the test lasted.

PIHER continues to support young talents and contribute to the future of the construction, carpentry and metal sector trades. That future is in the hands of students like Arturo and Alfonso and in the institutes and training centres that transmit knowledge from generation to generation.