Lyon to host 47th WorldSkills Competition in 2023

The 47th WorldSkills Competition will be held in the French city Lyon in 2023, organisers of the programme said here, ahead of this year's event which will see participation from 60 countries, including 48 competitors from India, from August 22 to August 27.

Lyon will host the 47th WorldSkills Competition in 2023. WorldSkills members voted two to one for the French city at its 2019 General Assembly in Kazan, WorldSkills organisers said here.

Lyon's bid was backed by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who appeared in a recorded video to promise his full support for Lyon 2023.

Saying the aims of WorldSkills were fully in line with France's policy on vocational training and education, Macron stressed, I want to say I do support, I fully support Lyon for French candidacy for the WorldSkills Competition for 2023.

Michel Guisembert, the Official Delegate and President of WorldSkills France, thanked the organisers for trusting his nation. "I can assure you that you will not be disappointed.

France will be hosting a WorldSkills Competition for the second time, with Lyon also having been the venue for the 33rd competition in 1996.

Simon Bartley, President of WorldSkills said congratulated Lyon on its presentation. "France is a strong member of WorldSkills, we wish them well with their work over the next few years and I know they will do a great job, he said.

Lyon is the second-largest metropolitan area in France, and is the capital of the Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes Region. It is a major industrial centre, and has a global reputation for gastronomy.

The competition, which is proposed for September 2023, will also coincide with the 70th anniversary of France first competing at a WorldSkills Competition in 1953. The 2020 WorldSkills conference is scheduled to be held in Dublin, Ireland, while 2021 event will be held in Shanghai, China.