Removing the prospect of medals can, paradoxically, be one of the most effective things you do for a young competitor… writes WorldSkills CEO Trevor Schwenke
That was the premise when WorldSkills Australia accepted guest status at the 3rd WorldSkills Asia Competition in Taipei the other week.
SEE MORE: Car news
Sixteen members of our Skillaroos Training Squad — roughly one-third of the group preparing for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 — competed without eligibility for official awards or placement on the leaderboard.
The outcome exceeded every expectation we had for an early-cycle training exercise.
Across 14 skill categories, including three that have not appeared in an Australian international team for more than ten years (Autobody Repair, Industrial Control, and Web Technologies), our competitors faced a field of 320 entrants from 28 countries.
The environment was markedly higher in standard and intensity than our National Championships.
Excitement building
Every Australian competitor improved on their domestic scores, in several cases by substantial margins.
Had guest performances been counted, the delegation would have earned one silver, one bronze, and one Medallion for Excellence.
More valuable than any hypothetical result, however, was the observable acceleration in technical and mental development.
Competitors returned with new benchmarking data, revised training priorities, and a clearer understanding of the gap that still exists—and how rapidly it is closing.
Beyond the workshop floor, the event reinforced the broader role of skills competitions. Thousands of Taiwanese secondary students visited daily, engaging directly with competitors and experts.
Several of our team reported conversations that visibly shifted students’ perceptions of vocational pathways.
The formal elements — President Lai Ching-te’s address at the Opening Ceremony, the multilingual oaths, the scale of the venue — left a lasting impression on the squad.
They now possess a tangible reference point for what “world-class” looks and feels like.
Taipei confirmed a principle we have long held early, high-intensity exposure, free from the distortion of medal pressure, is one of the fastest ways to build a competitive international team.
The real work for Shanghai 2026 begins now, but it begins from a markedly stronger position than it would have a fortnight ago.