Tough World Cup training

Skilled workers train for the world championships

A break is a must. Expert Simon Dorrer with Carinthian electronics technician Georg Kelih (left), automotive technician David Gschaar and welder Alexander Pfleger from Styria in Abu Dhabi.

(Bild: Skills Austria)

Twelve young skilled workers from Styria will be competing at the WorldSkills World Championships in Lyon, France, in September. Welder Alexander Pfleger even flew to the desert to train. His conclusion: the competition never sleeps!

"Everything is so huge. Really worth seeing," says Alexander Pfleger. The 21-year-old welder from St. Jakob im Walde recently traveled to Abu Dhabi to take part in the "Emirates Skills National Competition". A number of guests were also invited to the Emirates national championship - for example from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. "We had to produce test plates, which were then judged. I also made an aluminum container and a stainless steel container," says Pfleger, thinking back to the competition in the desert. And he even brought home the win!

Conclusion: "We are in a good position!" There was even time for a trip into the desert on the back of a camel. 

Welder Alexander Pfleger represents Austria at the World Professional Championships in Lyon in September

(Bild: Florian Wieser)

1600 participants are taking part in France
In just under a hundred days, it really will be all about who will be crowned world champion in their profession in Lyon, France. From graphic designers and florists to chefs, 62 (apprenticeship) professions will be represented. The participants are under 22 years old, but no longer apprentices. Twelve of them come from Styria.

The Styrian participants at WorldSkills2024

Florian Gruber (tiler), David Gschaar (automotive technician), Johanna Haimel (graphic designer), Thomas Leitner (carpenter), Alexander Pfleger (welder), Silvius Pink (chef), Magdalena Rath (digital construction), Paul Nico Reif and Fabian Weber (robot system integration), Simon Stoißer and Jan Trummer (mobile robotics), Christoph Sorger (metal construction)

Of course, Alexander Pfleger hasn't just been training for the World Championships since April. "I took part in EuroSkills in Gdansk last year - but I wasn't able to train as much because of my community service. In January, I competed in the national championships." Now the welder is putting his heart and soul into training. Will it be enough? "We'll see. It's hard to do well in my profession. The Asian countries are brutal!" So the motto is: "Give it your all and hope for the best!"

How the Austrian team celebrated at the EuroSkills 2023 award ceremony in Gdansk

(Bild: Florian Wieser)

Crown Prince congratulated
In addition to Pfleger, automotive technician David Gschaar from Klöch and the mobile robotics duo Simon Stoißer and Jan Trummer from Wildon also traveled to the desert. Even the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Khaled bin Muhammad bin Zayid Al Nahyan, stopped by to offer his congratulations. Graphic designer Johanna Haimel from Graz traveled to Canada to prepare, digital construction candidate Magdalena Rath traveled to Great Britain, carpenter Thomas Leitner to Denmark, Simon Stoißer and Jan Trummer (Mobile Robotics) to Northern Ireland.

The international training sessions are a first, says SkillsAustria President and WKO Styria boss Josef Herk: "This has allowed us to achieve a level of professionalization that is unique in the history of 'Skills'!"