Hong Kong builders take three WorldSkills honours in best CIC haul

Nine young construction competitors from Hong Kong's Construction Industry Council returned from WorldSkills Shanghai with three Medallions for Excellence, marking the council's best performance to date at the competition. The honours were secured by participants in painting and decorating, welding, and concrete construction work, signalling Hong Kong's first WorldSkills triumph in the latter category.

This marks a significant milestone, as the Construction Industry Council (CIC) had not previously achieved a top finish in concrete construction work at WorldSkills.

The 48th WorldSkills Competition concluded in Shanghai on September 27, during which the CIC fielded its largest construction squad yet, comprising nine competitors across eight trades. These competitors faced off against about 1,400 peers aged 22 or under from over 70 WorldSkills member nations in 64 skills. CIC executive director Ir Albert Cheng Ting-ning expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, stating that the competitors had surpassed their own training expectations and had "gone all out for Hong Kong."

The concrete construction competition proved particularly challenging for the squad. Huang To-kong and Wan Tsz-ho, the concrete work team, faced setbacks, including one member falling ill and a concrete pour going awry. Despite these obstacles, they persevered, rebuilding their work layer by layer and ultimately securing a Medallion for Excellence. Their performance in the steel-fixing section also earned them a top four finish overall, 13 points behind the competition's first-place team.

Welding also delivered another CIC triumph, marking the team's third consecutive Medallion for Excellence in the trade. Competitor Tse Yu-lok, who joined the competition from paid welding work rather than a Hong Kong Institute of Construction program, demonstrated exceptional skill in X-ray inspection and pressure testing, securing an 11th-place ranking with 716 points, just 11 points behind the gold medallist.

The four-day concrete competition offered the squad a dramatic turnaround. After a strong start in the first two days, Huang and Wan faced setbacks, including illness and concrete spillage. However, they demonstrated resilience and teamwork, ultimately securing a high score in the steel-fixing section. Their expert, James Li, emphasized the importance of trust and cooperation in overcoming such challenges.

The CIC's participation in WorldSkills began in 1997, and the council has now amassed a total of 10 Medallions for Excellence, including three in Shanghai (2022, 2024, and 2026). The council's success in welding highlights the importance of providing skilled tradespeople with clear career paths, emphasizing that leadership roles are attainable without a university degree.

The preparation for the competition spanned two years and involved intensive training, public trial events, and collaboration with partner institutes in various Chinese cities. The experience gained from WorldSkills competitions has evidently boosted the competitors' confidence and preparedness for their future careers.