South Africa’s Philippus Saayman has made the country proud at the WorldSkills Competition hosted in Lyon, France! Here, he was awarded the ‘Best of Nation’ medal for his skills in refrigeration and air conditioning and was the sole South African to win the award!
Lyon, France (18 September 2024) — Fridges and HVAC units simply stand no chance against South Africa’s Philippus Saayman. While most competitions tend to award sparkling creatives or fierce sportspeople, Philippus has earned international praise for a more practical practice thanks to his recent moment in the sun at the WorldSkills Competition!
Hosted in France’s Lyon from 10 to 15 September, 1,400 people boasting an array of practical powers, from welding to floristry, united for the unique competition of nations, representing a myriad of countries and skill sets. A big deal, the event held an opening and closing ceremony, making it something of the Olympics for skill sets.
The WorldSkills competition has, for the past ten years, aimed to combat prejudices against vocational training, as the team behind the 2024 event shares. The first competition came after the creation of World Youth Skills Day, as established by the United Nations, and has become a powerful means to spotlight the significant demand for vocational training in a world facing a talent shortage under the ethos “Where there’s a skill, there’s a way.”
Here, Philippus made South Africa enormously proud after he was the sole South African awarded the ‘Best of Nation’ medal—an honour that commends the top competitor in a category from each country.
“As the top performer for Team South Africa, Philippus demonstrated exceptional skill and dedication to his craft,” praised the Department of Higher Education and Training.
by 