Female competitors from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions came under the spotlight in Shanghai at the just-concluded 48th WorldSkills Competition — billed as the “Skills Olympics” — with their gold medals and exemplary performances.

Tai Hsin-i, a 21-year-old tiler from Hong Kong, drew attention as the city’s first woman to compete in the wall-and-floor tiling event, and the only female entrant in the category at the biennial contest, the world’s most influential vocational-skills competition.

Wong Weng-kei of Macao clinched gold in visual merchandising — the SAR’s second WorldSkills gold medal in history. Another Macao woman, Cloe Carvalho Hoo, secured the bronze in retail sales.

The six-day competition, held from Sept 22 through Sunday, attracted around 1,400 competitors from nearly 70 countries and regions, who competed in 64 vocational skills.

Tai was among 41 Hong Kong contestants in 37 events, while the Macao team took part in 22 events.

The HKSAR team clinched a record 15 awards, comprising a silver in rail vehicle technology and 14 medals for excellence. In addition to the gold medal, the Macao SAR also won a silver in drone operation, a bronze in retail sales, and 11 medals for excellence — its best-ever result.

Hong Kong’s performance came as the city seeks to expand its pool of skilled workers and raise the profile and international recognition of its vocational and professional education and training.

After attending the contest’s closing ceremony on Sunday, Hong Kong Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said she was pleased to see the city’s team keep up its strong performance and achieve breakthroughs in several events.

She praised the Hong Kong contestants for “giving their all on the international stage”, saying they had showcased “the talent and vigor” of the city’s young generation, while helping promote vocational education and boost its recognition in society.

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To help competitors prepare, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau gave additional support to the Vocational Training Council — the city’s largest provider of vocational and professional education and training — by expanding the talent search, arranging overseas training sessions, and bringing in former medalists to share their experiences with trainees.

Tai, one of nine young representatives sent by the Construction Industry Council — a statutory body established to advance the sector’s professional development — took a year off from her advanced diploma in building services supervision at the Hong Kong Institute of Construction. She began full-time training in September 2025 to prepare for the competition.

The wall-and-floor tiling event, a trade traditionally associated with men, is a core part of the construction and building technology category at WorldSkills. It involves numerous, intricate procedures, strict precision requirements and physical demands.

Competitors were given about 22 hours over four days to complete three modules individually. Their tasks included interpreting drawings, marking out, cutting tiles, mixing mortar, laying tiles, and grouting an area of nearly 7 square meters with millimeter-level accuracy.

Tai drew attention for her calm, meticulous tile work. Footage of her tiling quickly spread online, with many viewers cheering her on.

She said her father, who works in the plumbing and electrical trades, had encouraged her to enter the construction field. “People say it’s harder for women because the work is physical,” she said. “I thought I might be strong enough. I don’t mind getting dirty, so I wanted to give it a try.”

This year, Hong Kong’s Construction Industry Council sent nine competitors to eight events, including bricklaying and welding.

The council said it hopes Tai’s participation inspires more women to join the construction industry and challenges the stereotype that such work is too strenuous and suitable only for men.

With improving working conditions and the growing use of remotely operated equipment, more women are expected to consider joining the profession, the council said.

Macao’s gold medalist Wong described her victory as “unbelievable”, despite having pictured winning gold many times.

“After a year of professional training, I wasn’t nervous on stage and had the confidence to finish,” she said. “But winning the title still feels unbelievable.”

Carvalho Hoo said she had also trained for about a year, five times a week for three to five hours per practice session.

With her sights set on becoming an auctioneer, she said she believes the experience and her strong result will help her build that career.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com