On June 28th, the 2026 Australia Global Skills Challenge concluded successfully in Wollongong. Li Xin, a student trained by Chengdu Omanti Technical School under CHINA EAST EDU (HKEX: 00667) and a selected member of China's national training team for the hairdressing event at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, was invited to participate. Competing against top global talent, Li Xin delivered a steady performance and secured the gold medal in the hairdressing category, bringing honor to her country.

Event Overview

This challenge is the largest international elite skills competition hosted by Australia, simulating the format of the WorldSkills International Competition and inviting participants from around the globe. The event brought together approximately 600 competitors, technical judges, industry experts, and officials to compete and exchange across six sectors, including Creative Arts and Fashion, Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, and Social and Personal Services, featuring 35 competition categories. The hairdressing event fell under the Social and Personal Services sector, with its assessment procedures, scoring criteria, and equipment requirements aligned with WorldSkills standards.

Training Through Competition

The four-day challenge for the hairdressing event comprised seven modules—three using live models and four using mannequin heads. The tasks included men's fashionable haircuts, beard trimming and design, ladies' up-styling, and ladies' commercial haircuts, totaling 16 hours and 30 minutes of competition time. This posed a significant test of the competitors' technical precision, time management, and on-the-spot adaptability.

For Li Xin, competing in Australia provided a valuable opportunity for practical, real-world experience. It allowed her to test her skills, adjust her performance, and gain experience in an international competitive environment. Li Xin noted that competing alongside participants from various countries gave her a more direct understanding of different technical styles and judging criteria, which she found highly beneficial.

Li Xin's participation in the Australian competition is a direct reflection of Chengdu Omanti Technical School's teaching philosophy, which emphasizes using competitions to drive education and aligning instruction with international industry standards. Moving forward, the school plans to continue building higher-caliber platforms for practical training and competition, encouraging more young students to step onto the international stage and progress steadily in their professional careers.