Meet the WorldSkills Champions Trust representatives for 2023 to 2024: Joao Teixeira
João Teixeira, Portuguese Champion in Mechanical Engineering CAD, competed during the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition and was recently elected as a WorldSkills Champions Trust representative. In addition to being a first-year university student in Mechanical Engineering, João also works as a teacher for future WorldSkills Competitors.
Why did you apply to become a WorldSkills Champions Trust representative? How did it feel to be elected?
Competing at WorldSkills was like a dream to me when I learned about it. After the Special Edition, I didn’t want my journey at WorldSkills to be over. Becoming a Champions Trust representative allowed me to continue being involved in this movement, to share my words and my story to the new generations of Competitors.
What does the WorldSkills movement mean to you? How would you describe it in three words?
WorldSkills is a great way for young people to showcase their skills, reveal themselves and inspire young visitors during Competitions. In three words, WorldSkills to me is: Excellence, Unity and Life-Changing.
“The future is skills. We are made of skills. Look for what you like and go for it.”
What is your advice to current Competitors and how do you wish to inspire them as a WorldSkills Champions Trust representative?
My advice to them would be to be focused, determined, to work a lot to achieve their goals and to not focus only on the Competition aspect. Enjoy it, feel the movement, and discover new cultures. I hope to encourage young people, especially in Portugal, to learn new skills and discover more about them. People can be and do everything, but they need to like what they do.
What would you say to a young person hesitating to enter a skill-based education and training path?
Go and try it. The future is skills. We are made of skills. Look for what you like and go for it.
Do you have a favorite WorldSkills memory, an anecdote to share?
WorldSkills has created a lot of memories for me. It’s incredible because we discover a lot of new cultures, we meet new people. My favorite memory was the Farewell Party in Bordeaux, France, during the 2022 Special Edition. It was amazing to go out with people from all over the world. I met people from everywhere: Japan, the UK, Sweden…It was great to live life with them for a while.
