Burgenland carpenter competes for WorldSkills medal in Shanghai

Elias Stephan, a 21-year-old furniture carpenter from Bad Sauerbrunn in Mattersburg district, is representing Austria at the WorldSkills international vocational competition in Shanghai, ORF reported.

Stephan works for List General Contractor GmbH in Wiener Neustadt. If he finishes among the top three, he would win Burgenland’s first WorldSkills medal.

The competition grounds are enormous, Stephan said, describing them as roughly the size of 200 football fields.

He is part of Team Austria, which includes 48 participants competing for medals in various fields. All have completed vocational apprenticeships, while some have also passed master craftsman examinations or attended vocational schools.

Stephan will receive his assignment on the day the competition begins. It usually involves making a piece of furniture from solid wood. His motto is to keep a cool head and get started.

The WorldSkills competition begins on Tuesday and runs until Sunday.