Competition in Calgary

JIM DESTEFANI, Editor Contact me

Recent media attention has made it impossible to miss Chicago’s ill-fated bid to host the 2016 Olympics. Just a few weeks ago, however, there was held a different type of global competition, one with far less fanfare, and, unfortunately, support. From Aug. 29–Sept. 5, the 40th WorldSkills Competition drew 900 young adults from 51 countries to Calgary, Alberta to compete for medals in 45 skill categories ranging from Floristry to Aircraft Maintenance. As a colleague lucky enough to attend put it, “It may just be the biggest international deal that none of us has ever heard of.”

The Car Painting category covered the entire refinish process. Competitors removed, marked out and replaced body parts, pretreated the surfaces, and painted the vehicle, all while moving like a NASCAR pit crew. The U.S. team had 16 members, all of whom earned the right to compete at Calgary by winning contests held by the Skills USA organization. Each member of the U.S. team was privately funded, unlike the far larger teams from other countries attending with government support.

WorldSkills Intl. is a non-profit aimed at elevating the status and standards of vocational training worldwide. The next competition is scheduled in London in 2011. Like the Olympics, the competition tries to accommodate its member nations’ desires to play host, so North America likely won’t be selected again anytime soon. For the sake of raising the competition’s domestic profile, that’s really too bad.

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