Welding Competitor Selected for WorldSkills 2024

Welding student from Utah to Represent the U.S. at World Event

SkillsUSA has selected Wyatt Hansen of Altonah, Utah as the official competitor for Welding in the 2024 WorldSkills Competition. His technical expert is Ray Connolly of Cedar Hill, Mo. Hansen will represent the United States at the 2024 WorldSkills Competition. The prestigious international event will be held Sept. 10-15, 2024 in Lyon, France.

“The 2024 WorldSkills USA team will have an amazing opportunity to represent SkillsUSA and our nation while undergoing incredibly rigorous training in their craft,” said SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis. “These team members are making a serious commitment to both their skill development and personal growth that will foster their drive, passion and life’s purpose.”

Hansen is a welding student at Utah State University Eastern (USUE) in Price, Utah. He represented the state of Utah at the SkillsUSA Championships in 2022 and 2023 and won a national gold medal in Welding in 2023. He says, “It’s a privilege to be a part of the team and it’s an honor to represent the U.S. in Lyon, France. I’ve dreamed of being a WorldSkills competitor and now I will be. I’ve been training 15 to 16 hours a day, six to seven days a week for the past eight months to get where I am today.”

The WorldSkills USA team will compete in several trade areas in the largest international showcase of skilled trades. SkillsUSA will announce the official team sponsors and other team members and their experts over the next few months. The 47th WorldSkills Competition in 2024 will welcome 1,500 competitors from over 65 countries and regions to take part in 62 skill competitions at Eurexpo Lyon. The competition will showcase dozens of trade skills from construction and building technology, creative arts and fashion, information and communication technology, manufacturing and engineering, social and personal services, and transportation and logistics. Over 250,000 spectators from around the world are expected to attend the 2024 competition including students, public policymakers, employers, teachers, trainers, technical experts and government officials.

A student-led partnership of education and industry, SkillsUSA is America’s proud champion of the skilled trades, building the nation’s future skilled workforce by delivering graduates who are career ready, day one. SkillsUSA works year-round to instill positive attitudes, build self-esteem and empower students to excel in the career path of their choice and follow their passions. The organization has 850 national partners and is integral to the training in nearly 20,000 career and technical education classrooms.

(Source: WorldSkills USA Press Release)