Meet the winners of 2024 Albert Vidal Award, the highest honour at WorldSkills Lyon 2024

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Junwei Lu and Huixuan Xie put in long days studying code and components in preparation for WorldSkills Lyon 2024. Their dedication paid off: they secured gold medals in Industry 4.0 alongside the prestigious Albert Vidal Award, setting an inspiring path for future digital manufacturing specialists.

Their paths to this historic achievement began in different corners of technology. Lu explained, “I was introduced to Industry 4.0 as a project area of study during my junior college years. At that time, there were constant reports of other students winning awards at WorldSkills Competitions in school, which made me realize the importance of skills in the future of work.”

Meanwhile, Xie’s foundation in computer networking naturally led him to the field. Xie said, “I studied computer networking in my vocational education and I participated in the Industry 4.0 programme.”

Success demanded unwavering commitment. Xie said, “We have trained for a very long time, the day goes from 8am to 9pm, even on weekends.“ For Lu, preparation meant developing both mind and skills. Lu shared, ”I would improve my practical skills by participating in mock competitions, which allowed me to better adapt to the pace and pressure of the competition. I also emphasize the development of my mental fitness, through some meditation and relaxation exercises.”

During the competition days in Lyon, their resilience was put to the test. Lu said, “The most challenging moment during the WorldSkills Competition was the announcement of the questions only on the day. I had to quickly understand the specific requirements of the questions and adjust my plan, which demanded a lot of resilience.”

Their excellence earned them the Albert Vidal Award, marked by a striking trophy that captures the WorldSkills spirit. The Albert Vidal Award is a prestigious award, named after the founder of WorldSkills International. In memory of Albert Vidal, the award recognizes the Competitor that achieves the highest number of points across all skill competitions.

The award’s designer, Jacqueline Tanzer, brought unique insight to its creation as both a WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 Competitor in Graphic Design for Team Austria and a former WorldSkills Champions Trust Regional representative for Europe.

Jacqueline shared, “The concept is based on the building blocks of WorldSkills, one of the brand’s primary design elements that symbolizes the idea that skills are the building blocks of life. The building blocks in the brand represent a multitude of skills and people, uniting and working together to bring change to our world.”

Looking to the future, Jacqueline shared her hopes for the recipients, “I hope they feel an immense pride in what they have achieved and a sense of having accomplished something truly extraordinary. But beyond that, I hope this award becomes something they treasure over the years – a reminder not only of their hard work but of the lasting impact WorldSkills has had on their lives. I hope every time they look at it, they feel proud and remember that it symbolizes more than just winning; it represents a journey of growth, skill, and the movement they have been a part of.”