The 47th WorldSkills Competition concluded in Lyon, France, on Sept 15. Cao Bo, a 22-year-old teacher from Wuhan Instrument and Electronic Technical School in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC), won the gold medal in the electronics technology category.

This victory marks the first time a participant from Hubei province has won gold at the WorldSkills Competition. With this achievement, the Chinese delegation secured a three-peat in this category.

Cao Bo clinches the gold medal at the 47th WorldSkills Competition. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Dubbed the "Olympics of skills", the WorldSkills Competition is held biennially and features 59 skill categories. The electronics technology category challenges competitors to design and build circuits or code programs using electronic components within 17 hours, solving complex real-world problems.

Cao's journey took six years of rigorous preparation. In 2023, he participated in the selection process for the 47th WorldSkills Competition. By September of that year, he had earned the top score, securing his place on the national training team. He again topped the scores in the final national selection, securing him a spot on the WorldSkills stage.

Founded in 1979 and located in the OVC, Wuhan Instrument and Electronic Technical School is one of the first national demonstration schools for the reform and development of secondary vocational education. Its electronic information technology program supports the OVC's optoelectronic information industry chain.

At the 47th WorldSkills Competition, the Chinese delegation won 36 gold medals, nine silver medals, four bronze medals, and eight excellence awards, topping the gold medal, overall medal, and team total score tables.