{
  "id": 9930391,
  "title": "S’pore’s former WorldSkills winners fly to Shanghai to support competing juniors",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/spores-former-worldskills-winners-fly-to-shanghai-to-support",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-26T07:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/parenting-education/spores-former-worldskills-winners-fly-to-shanghai-to-support-competing-juniors"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore's Arthur Liew, a former WorldSkills champion, is back in Shanghai to support his junior counterparts competing in the 2026 WorldSkills contest. Liew, 26, flew to Shanghai on September 23, the opening day of the event at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre. Thirty-four young individuals from ITE and polytechnics are participating in the four-day competition across 31 categories. Liew shares his expertise with competitors Brandon Yap and Cedric Yau, advising them on setting up workstations and managing mental pressure. Liew attributes his current job as a manufacturing engineer to his WorldSkills experience, which he believes set him apart. Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun Alhabsyi praised the ecosystem of support for students, with former winners like Liew paying it forward to current competitors. Shuner Villanueva Leong, also attending the event to support students, advised juniors to maintain a positive mindset during the competition. Liew emphasizes the importance of performing under pressure and never cutting corners, lessons he learned from his first day at WorldSkills Kazan, where he had to return to the competition after cutting his hand. The support from parents and the broader community underscores the value placed on skilled occupations in Singapore, with an aim to encourage more young people to pursue such careers.",
  "summary": "Over 30 supporters, including the parents of competitors, have made the trip to China to cheer them on.",
  "key_points": [
    "Former WorldSkills champion Arthur Liew returns to Shanghai for 2026 contest.",
    "34 young participants from ITE and polytechnics compete in four days.",
    "Liew shares expertise on workstations and mental pressure management."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Straits Times",
        "title": "Ignoring the noise: What it’s like competing at the ‘vocational skills Olympics’ in Shanghai",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/ignoring-the-noise-what-its-like-competing-at-the-vocational-skills",
        "published": "2026-09-26T07:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}