Champion of male-dominated event relies on 'girl power' ahead of 'skills Olympics'

LYON, France — When Shanice Wong, 20, realised she was the only female in a male-dominated event, she knew she had to rely on "girl power" to secure a win.

Looking back at the WorldSkills Competition in Singapore in 2023, where she beat five male competitors in an event that requires the use of highly sophisticated machinery to create components such as smartphones, kitchen appliances and prosthetic limbs using precise cutting tools, Wong said that being a female worked to her advantage.

"We are graded based on the accuracy in the dimensions of the finished product. I am a bit more patient, more steady and more aware of small details. So that helped me a lot."

After winning the gold medal in 2023, Wong is now representing Singapore on the global stage in WorldSkills 2024, the "Olympics of vocational skills", which is being held in Lyon, France, from Sept 10 to 15.

She told The Straits Times that she was not surprised to discover that she was the only female out of 26 competitors there as well.

"I'm here, and I beat all the guys in Singapore.

"I feel like I'm able to show a different side of feminine power, where I can do it as well as the guys."

Her training for the competitions started in March 2022, when she had just started her second year of study at Singapore Polytechnic (SP), pursuing a diploma in aeronautical engineering.

Wong said she was introduced to milling — a machining process that removes material from a workpiece in a controlled manner — in a module she took at SP.

Invited by the polytechnic to take part in the WorldSkills competition in Singapore, Wong took up a computer numeric control milling course as part of her studies.

Even after graduating from SP in May, Wong had been returning to her alma mater to train every weekday from 9am to 5pm.

She also deferred starting her studies at the National University of Singapore, where she will be pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, to early 2025, so that she could focus on preparing for the competition in Lyon.

One of the moments that she will treasure from the Lyon experience was the badge exchange, where competitors swop their countries' badges with one another.

"The badge exchange was a really fun part of the experience. I'm so happy to be going back with this collection of memories."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.