Eight Upper Austrians target WorldSkills medals in Shanghai

Eight young skilled workers from Upper Austria will compete for medals at the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai from 22 to 27 September, ORF reported. They are part of Austria’s 48-member team competing in various disciplines.

Leo Jindrak, vice president of the Upper Austrian Economic Chamber, described WorldSkills as the ultimate test of professional excellence. He said the region’s dual education system and team training provided a solid foundation for the competitors. SkillsAustria managing director Jürgen Kraft said the competition was “a different league” in which perfection was required at the decisive moment.

The Upper Austrian team consists of seven men and one woman. Fabian Spitzer from Altheim will compete in CNC turning and is aiming for a medal. Tiler Andreas Landl from Wartberg and garden designers Marcel Ortner and Simon Weiß hope to build on previous successes.

Jonas Danninger, the reigning European champion in refrigeration and air-conditioning technology, has prepared meticulously for the competition. Chef Hannes Sortsch and Sarah Schöftner, who works in restaurant service, are also aiming for top results.

Carpenter Luca Reitböck hopes to win Upper Austria’s first medal in his discipline. Across its 33 previous WorldSkills appearances, Upper Austria has won 20 gold, 15 silver and 18 bronze medals.

A medal in Shanghai would be historic for the region, as the last Upper Austrian medal on Asian soil was won by Johann Auer in 2001.