Promoting Inclusion and Social Impact at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 

Since its bid in 2019, the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 Organizing Committee has been highlighting major issues that define its identity. Among them are inclusion and the positive social impact of the Competition on our stakeholders and society. Various initiatives and solutions will be put in place before, during and after the Competition in order to meet these major challenges, which are essential for young people and the future of society.   

WorldSkills Lyon 2024 is committed to promoting equal opportunities, valuing diversity and encouraging inclusion in all professional sectors, as well as in society as a whole, through a range of initiatives designed in advance of the Competition, but with the aim of establishing lasting benefits on a larger scale.   

Accessibility and inclusion are at the heart of the Competition   

WorldSkills Lyon 2024 aims to improve accessibility, particularly for people with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility. We are currently developing a mobile application dedicated to this public, offering specific features such as adapted itineraries, to ensure that everyone can visit the Competition in the best possible conditions. On the Competition site (Eurexpo Lyon), a special welcome desk will be set up to guide and provide persons with disabilities or reduced mobility with all the information and facilities available to smooth their visit to the Competition.   

For the youngest visitors and those with reduced mobility, lower partition walls will be installed around the skills areas. “Skills informers” will be on hand to provide descriptions and oral explanations of the competitions, thus facilitating access to information, particularly for the visually impaired or blind. For the hearing-impaired and disabled, panels containing text and simplified explanations with diagrams will be available.  

Alongside these major issues, the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 Organizing Committee is also keen to promote gender diversity, through various programmes and initiatives, including our Sports & Skills Programme, which highlights the parallels between WorldSkills Competitors and athletes, and in particular women’s profiles. For example, we are working with the LDLC ASVEL women’s professional basketball club, a company with a strong commitment to gender diversity and to promoting the role of women in society.  

WorldSkills Lyon 2024 is also implementing a process to measure and value the positive effects generated by the Competition on Competitors, visitors and Volunteers. 

“Through our social impact study, we want to capture the emotions of Competitors during the Competition and Ceremonies. We want to understand their experience: did they deepen their self-confidence and skills, did they forge bonds with other young people from all over the world? For many of them, the WorldSkills Lyon 2024 Competition is their first international experience, which guarantees them an exceptional experience and encounters.”  Manon Pustel, Sustainable Development Officer for WorldSkills Lyon 2024   

In the event of discrimination, harassment or violence, effective procedures will be put in place in collaboration with the Competition site security staff and members of the Organizing Committee. Prevention posters will also be on display to raise visitors’ awareness of these issues.   

WorldSkills Lyon 2024 commitment to inclusion and social impact is a reflection of our values and vision, in favor of a future where every person, whatever their background or difference, has the opportunity to develop personally, professionally, and contribute fully to society.