Meet the new WorldSkills Champions Trust
Eleven inspiring young people have been appointed to the WorldSkills Champions Trust to advocate for skills on the global stage.
WorldSkills has announced the new WorldSkills Champions Trust – eleven exceptional young people who will serve as ambassadors for the WorldSkills movement for the next two years. Their role is to inspire the next generation of skills professionals and to showcase the value of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
The WorldSkills Champions Trust for 2025 to 2026 comprises seven new representatives alongside four returning Champions, and was selected from a record-breaking 157 applications, almost double the number of applications from 2023.
Each representative shares a passion for skills and a commitment to excellence. They are all WorldSkills Champions having competed at either WorldSkills Kazan 2019, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, or WorldSkills Lyon 2024.
Each represents a different skill and comes from a different Member country or region. Together, they bring a breadth of experience which will be invaluable as they step onto the global stage for skills as the voice of youth.
Here are the newest representatives joining WorldSkills Champions Trust 2025 to 2026 (by region):
Africa
Abraham Mundengo from Zambia, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, Information Network Cabling
The Americas
Diego López from Costa Rica, WorldSkills Kazan 2019, IT Network Systems Administration
Asia
Jingyi Lu from China, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, Chemical Laboratory Technology
Europe
Nurit Davidowicz from Austria, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, Industry 4.0
Aapo Paunonen from Finland, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, CNC Milling
Middle East & North Africa
Leyla Valiyeva from Azerbaijan, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, Cooking
Narmeen Almarzooqi from UAE, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, IT Software Solutions for Business
Returning for a second term are:
Africa
Mihle Mvelakubi from South Africa, WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, Bricklaying
The Americas
Sonya Hill from Jamaica, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, Mobile Robotics
Asia
Shweta Ratanpura from India, WorldSkills Kazan 2019, Graphic Design Technology
Oceania and ASEAN
Rachel Crawford from Australia, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, Bakery
The WorldSkills Champions Trust representatives’ term will include a week-long Training Camp where they will gain experience in public speaking, social media content development, and media training.
Over the coming two years, these young ambassadors will take on high-profile opportunities, joining international delegations and undertaking speaking engagements at WorldSkills Partner organisations’ events including UNESCO, ILO, and the OECD, as well as leading conversations on important occasions such as World Youth Skills Day.
Within their home regions, they will build relationships with WorldSkills Members and Partners and use their experience and profile to inspire more young people to pursue a career in the skilled professions.
The WorldSkills Champions Trust 2025-2026 will also play a significant role in the journey towards WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, following in the footsteps of their predecessors who, during WorldSkills Lyon 2024, helped lead the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony, presented medals at the Closing Ceremony, spoke at the WorldSkills Conference, and networked with global industry leaders.
Shawna Bourke, Director of Marketing and Communications at WorldSkills International, celebrated this news: “Over the next two years, these eleven remarkable young people will support our work to elevate skills excellence on the global stage. They will help us make sure the needs of our next generation are heard and understood. And they will help us shape the future of skills development so our education systems and our industries remain innovative, inclusive, and responsive to the challenges of an ever-changing world.”
You can read more about WorldSkills Champions Trust and these inspiring youth ambassadors here.