On July 15, World Youth Skills Day, the Shanghai WorldSkills Executive Bureau officially announced the second group of WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Dream Ambassadors. Six national-level master artisans and outstanding skilled talents, including Wang Shuqun, Liu Xinru, Cao Jiahao, Zhu Lixuan, Yang Lingzhi and Wu Jiani, have been appointed as Dream Ambassadors. The appointment aims to leverage the exemplary role of national-level master artisans and outstanding skilled talents, promote the spirit of craftsmanship, and inspire more young people to develop their careers through skills and contribute their talents to their country.

Last September, during the one-year countdown event for the 48th WorldSkills Competition Shanghai, the Executive Bureau launched the first group of WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Dream Ambassadors. Ten outstanding skilled talents, including Zhuang Qiufeng, Ke Shuichang, Xie Huixuan, Zhu Junfeng, Kang Bangcheng, Zeng Xiao’an, Jiang Hao, Xiao Xingxing, Zheng Qiyuan and Ning Xianhai, were appointed. The initiative received positive social recognition and injected strong momentum into WorldSkills promotion.

The six newly appointed Dream Ambassadors come from diverse fields, including Aerospace Assembly, Digital Software, Floristry, Pâtisserie and Confectionery, Restaurant Service and Hotel Reception. They continue to raise the bar for Chinese skills on the global skills stage.

Wang Shuqun, from Factory 149 of the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, is the only team leader responsible for the final assembly of manned spacecraft docking mechanisms in China. Starting as a vocational school graduate, he has grown into a senior aerospace technician. Leading his team, he spent 16 years overcoming key technical challenges in manned space docking. In 2011, the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft and Tiangong-1 space laboratory successfully achieved China’s first automated space rendezvous and docking, with the docking mechanism assembled and adjusted by his team. This milestone made China the third country in the world to independently master space rendezvous and docking technology. Wang Shuqun has received numerous honors, including the China Skills Award, the Second Award of the Scientific and Technological Progress of the State, and the National Model Worker award. Through his dedication and achievements, he has carried forward the spirit of craftsmanship and written a new chapter of serving the country through skills.

Liu Xinru is a teacher at Suzhou Wuzhong Technician College. At the 47th WorldSkills Competition, she won China’s first-ever gold medal in the Pâtisserie and Confectionery competition, marking a historic breakthrough and demonstrating the skills and innovative capabilities of Chinese young professionals. She was invited to share her journey of skill development at the State Council Information Office and appeared on the stage of the 2026 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, helping more people recognize the value of vocational skills.

Cao Jiahao is a teacher at Jiangsu Suzhou Technician College. At the 47th WorldSkills Competition, he won the gold medal in the Digital and Information Technology-related competition Business Software Solutions, achieving China’s first-ever gold medal in this competition and demonstrating the country’s strong talent base in software engineering and information technology. After returning from the competition with honors, Cao actively devoted himself to cultivating technical skills talent. He integrated the achievements and experience gained from WorldSkills into his teaching practice and continues to inspire young people through skills.

Zhu Lixuan is a  teacher from the Tourism Department of Shanghai Information Management School. She won the Medallion for Excellence in Hotel Reception at the 47th WorldSkills Competition, ranking first among Competitors from East Asia and achieving China’s first breakthrough in the medal table for this Competition. After becoming a teacher, she integrated WorldSkills standards into vocational education. She has guided nearly one hundred students, who have won nearly ten awards at national, municipal and district levels. She also traveled to Yuanyang, Yunnan Province, to support skills education and share her expertise.

Yang Lingzhi is a teacher at Shanghai Vocational College of Agriculture and Forestry. Driven by her passion for plants, she embarked on a journey to pursue her dream in Floristry. From the Guizhou to the WorldSkills stage, she won a Medallion for Excellence in Floristry at the WorldSkills Special Edition. Today, she is not only a young teacher dedicated to passing on knowledge and skills, but also a a deputy to the 16th Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, where she actively contributes suggestions for the development of vocational education.

Wu Jiani is a cabin service manager at China Eastern Airlines and the leader of a Skill Master Studio. She won a Medallion for Excellence in Restaurant Service at the 45th WorldSkills Competition, achieving the best-ever result by a Chinese Competitor in this Competition. She has transformed her WorldSkills experience into innovative products and training programs, developing wine and coffee courses for first-class cabin service training. She also created signature in-flight beverages, including “Sunrise from the East”, “Brilliant Orange” and specialty drinks for the domestically produced C919 aircraft, which have been introduced on multiple airline routes. She has also served as a WorldSkills expert and competition judge, mentoring young talents and continuing to pass on the youthful spirit of contributing to the country through skills.

The Shanghai WorldSkills Executive Bureau stated that China is accelerating industrial digital transformation, upgrading advanced manufacturing, and improving the quality of modern services. Across industries, there is an increasing demand for highly skilled technical professionals. The journeys of these Dream Ambassadors vividly embody the Shanghai WorldSkills philosophy of “Master skills, change your future”. Through their exemplary influence, they will transform WorldSkills standards, top-level skills and the spirit of craftsmanship into inspiring models that young people can understand and follow. They will inject new momentum into the cultivation of more national-level master artisans and highly skilled professionals, encouraging more young people to pursue excellence through skills.

Regarding his appointment as a WorldSkills Dream Ambassador, Wang Shuqun expressed his great honor and said emotionally: “The 2026 Shanghai WorldSkills Competition has extended an invitation to the world. Here, skills are not only about competition, but also a stage for pursuing dreams. Let us join hands to ignite the spark of skills, and with dedication and perseverance, turn every dream of reaching for the stars into reality.”

Liu Xinru said enthusiastically that, as a Dream Ambassador, she would support the Shanghai WorldSkills Competition by sharing her Competition experience and craftsmanship with more young people who love baking and dream of developing their skills, showcasing the spirit of skilled youth in the new era.

Wu Jiani shared her message: “Skills have never been a second-best choice. They are an honorable path that leads to excellence just like any other. Together, in Shanghai and on the world stage of skills, let us write our own legendary stories of youth.”