Aapo Paunonen joins WorldSkills Champions Trust

Aapo Paunonen represented Finland in the CNC Milling skill at the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 competition.

The 11 young people in the WorldSkills Champions Trust will serve as ambassadors for the WorldSkills movement for the next two years. Their role is to inspire the next generation of skilled professionals and demonstrate the value of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The appointment to the Champions Trust was made by the WorldSkills International organisation, which organises the biennial WorldSkills competitions. The organisation includes 89 member countries.

The Finnish representative selected for the WorldSkills Champions Trust, Aapo Paunonen, competed at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 and received a Medallion for Excellence for his above-average performance in the CNC Milling skill category. Aapo is also part of this year's Team Finland and is aiming for the EuroSkills Herning 2025 competition in Denmark in September.

"Being selected for the WorldSkills Champions Trust is a great honour and something I am proud of. I look forward to the opportunity to promote the visibility of vocational skills globally, share my experiences, and inspire the next generation. At the same time, I get a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow together with other top experts", Aapo commented on his selection.

The WorldSkills Champions Trust represents the entire WorldSkills community globally. In addition to Aapo, Europe is represented by Nurit Davidowicz from Austria, who competed in the Industry 4.0 skill at WorldSkills 2024.

WorldSkills Champions Trust

Representing Africa

• Abraham Mundengo from Zambia, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, Information Network Cabling
• Mihle Mvelakubi from South Africa, WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, Bricklaying

Representing the Americas

• Diego López from Costa Rica, WorldSkills Kazan 2019, IT Network Systems Administration
• Sonya Hill from Jamaica, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, Mobile Robotics

Representing Asia

• Jingyi Lu from China, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, Chemical Laboratory Technology
• Shweta Ratanpura from India, WorldSkills Kazan 2019, Graphic Design Technology

Representing Europe

• Nurit Davidowicz from Austria, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, Industry 4.0
• Aapo Paunonen from Finland, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, CNC Milling

Representing Middle East and North Africa

• Leyla Valiyeva from Azerbaijan, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, Cooking
• Narmeen Almarzooqi from UAE, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, IT Software Solutions for Business

Representing Oceania and ASEAN

• Rachel Crawford from Australia, WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition, Bakery

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