Meet the WorldSkills Champions Trust representatives for 2023 to 2024: Daniel McCabe
Daniel McCabe, former 2019 to 2022 Champions Trust representative, has been chosen to return to the WorldSkills Champions Trust 2023 to 2024, to maintain momentum and welcome the new representatives. Daniel was one of the first Competitors in 3D Digital Game Art at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.
Why did you apply to become a WorldSkills Champions Trust representative? How did it feel to be elected?
I wanted to expose myself to more mindsets, more cultures, and meet people around the world to understand a mindset outside of mine: there’s more to the world than the UK. I was shocked when I read the email that informed me I was elected. I’m not sure I really understood the weight of that email back then. I was excited, but if I knew then what I know now, I would have screamed and jumped in the room. I didn’t understand the scale, but now I do.
What does the WorldSkills movement mean to you? How would you describe it in three words?
The WorldSkills movement to me represents collaboration and determination. The amount of drive that people have at WorldSkills is incredible. To me, skills change worlds.
“It’s not just a medal, it’s an experience that will change your life.”
What is your advice to current Competitors and how do you wish to inspire them as a Worldskills Champions Trust representative?
My advice is to enjoy the experience. A lot of people get hung up on the medals, awards and all the glamour of it all, but I think there’s more to it than that. It’s not just a medal, it’s an experience that will change your life. Make sure you connect with your teammates and people from around the world, make friends for life and learn from them. I hope to inspire people the same way people before me inspired me. I remember seeing the trailer of the previous Champions Trust and realizing the incredible impact they had.
What would you say to a young person hesitating to enter a skill-based education and training path?
Do it. Hesitation is a good thing; it means you’re cautious. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and it can get you opportunities to compete in great events like the WorldSkills events.
Do you have a favorite WorldSkills memory, an anecdote to share?
My favorite WorldSkills memories never are of Competition, winning medals, ceremonies, interviews, fancy dinners, or speeches. My favorite memory is always when you find that small café in Lyon that you would have never found without the local guides, when you find that bar in Madrid from the local you reached out to, when you’re in Japan and you speak to another Competitor who takes you to a wonderful restaurant serving your favorite food. You see the world in a different way, and you can apply that to yourself as a person, become more cultured, and hopefully better.
