President Macron will address over 12,500 visitors and spectators in Lyon’s LDLC Arena this evening, officially opening the 47th WorldSkills competition.
Dubbed the ‘skills Olympics’, the competition officially kicks off tonight with an opening ceremony promising big-name speeches, sparkling performances and competitors proudly parading the flags of their home countries.
The UK flag will be flown by mechatronics competitor, and Siemens degree apprentice, Lucy Yelland.
A further 30 students and apprentices make up Team UK taking part in competitions over the next four days including cabinet making, hairdressing, health and social care, aircraft maintenance and cyber security.
Around 1,400 competitors from 69 countries will be present alongside their training teams, families, supporters and national officials.
A traditional part of the ceremony is the swearing of the WorldSkills oaths, one for competitors and one for the competition’s experts.
Competitors will be asked to “promise to compete fairly, respecting and abiding by the code of ethics and conduct, the competition rules, and the WorldSkills values – all in the true spirit of WorldSkills.”
Experts will pledge to “officiate with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding by the Code of Ethics and Conduct, the Competition Rules, and the WorldSkills values of integrity, fairness, and transparency – all in the true spirit of WorldSkills.”
Between the oaths and mainstage performances, the ceremony will feature speeches from Max Roche, president of WorldSkills Lyon, Chris Humphries, president of WorldSkills International and Shweta Ratanpura, a WorldSkills champion.
Headlining the ceremony, and officially opening the competition, will be Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic.
