Yang Denghui knows just how much a skill can change a life. After winning gold in CNC Milling at the 44th WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi in 2017, he chose to teach and, beyond that, to advocate for those following the same path.
"Skills changed my life," Yang said. "I hope more young people can find their direction by learning a skill."
Competing at WorldSkills demanded extraordinary precision. In CNC milling, machining tolerances must be kept within 0.02 millimeters, finer than a strand of hair. Yang recalls countless failed attempts during training, each one pushing him to improve the next workpiece.
After returning from WorldSkills, Yang became a coach at his former college, helping prepare the next generation of skilled professionals.
In 2023, he was elected as a deputy to China's National People's Congress (NPC). Since then, he has focused on issues related to vocational education and skilled talent, visiting schools, manufacturers and enterprises across the country to better understand the challenges young skilled professionals face.
For Yang, winning gold was never the finish line. Whether in the workshop, the classroom, or beyond, he hopes more people will see skills as a pathway to opportunity and a future worth building.
Reporter: Xie Maishi
Source: Guangdong Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security
