First launched in 1950, this year the 46th hosting of the WorldSkills Competition, was held in Switzerland from October 11th-14th. At the competition, NPUST Department of Wood Science and Design student, Shih-Kai Chen, represented Taiwan in the “Joinery” category, and rose above competitors from 16 countries to win the gold medal prize. On December 12th, Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ying-wen, extended her congratulations to Chen for his outstanding performance.
For six years, Shih-Kai Chen has been working hard to hone his skills. As part of his training, Chen had been taking part in simulated competitions, basic manual skills practice, and many different exercises to prepare his mind and his hands. His hard work won him recognition at national competitions in Taiwan and ultimately won him the chance to represent his country at the 46th WorldSkills Competition, where he took home the top prize.
On December 15th, a press conference was held for Chen at the university’s Wood Processing Plant. At the conference, NPUST’s president, Chin-Lung Chang, said “Shih-Kai Chen has worked hard and undergone many years training. With guidance from teachers and trainers from the Department of Wood Science, he achieved national qualification, and in the end, was able to take home the gold medal for Taiwan. In addition to Shih-kai’s vocational spirit, thanks also goes to the teachers in the department for providing long-term mentoring and for passing on technical skills. We hope that in the future, with assistance through provision of sufficient resources and equipment from the school, the Department of Wood Design will be able to continue to train professional talent for the country.”
Assistant Professor Chien-Nan Chen, who is a professional skills instructor at the department, said “in addition to Shih Kai’s tireless efforts, the teachers, training team, school, and department all lent support to him and provided him with good resources to make full use of his strengths. We expect that in the future, Shih Kai will be able to continue moving towards his goals, and we hope that by transmitting experience and through education we will be able to help more students learn and improve.”
Shih Kai shared on his experience, saying “it took four days to bring the results of 7 years of experience and two years of training into play. It was about developing an interest and establishing a goal to grope after and to train for. Because, only with a goal in place, can one push oneself to diligently study and hone one’s skills. It’s very important to experience continuous progression. I’m grateful to instructor Da-qing Jia for his in-depth training, and assistant professor Chien-Nan Chen and associate instructor Hao-Chang Tsai for their training and sharing of experience. I am also very grateful to my family for continuous support and encouragement through the entire journey. It’s only for these reasons that I was able to come out with a gold medal among so many international contestants. I hope that in the future I will be able to continue to do what I am passionate about, and enjoy the fun of woodworking.”
Shih-Kai Chen liked playing with Lego and making models since he was a child. Through the assembly process, he cultivated an ability to remember designs and learnt how to visualize the spatial orientation of objects as he immersed himself in a world of building and rebuilding. In vocational high school, Chen studied architecture and underwent wood joinery training. As he developed an understanding of the different characteristics of each piece of wood, he learnt how to use texture and color combinations to create different aesthetics. At the NPUST Department of Wood Science, Chen continued to add to his knowledge and apply what he was learning to his creative works.
NPUST is dedicated to cultivating students with professional knowledge and skills that keep pace with the times. Through practical learning, the effectiveness of the process is enhanced and students can accumulate experience as they increase their understanding of professional theories. All these things also boost the employability of students upon graduation, and helps related industries by providing them with the type of talent and skills that they need.
