WorldSkills is widely regarded as the world championship of vocational skills. Over several days of competition, participants are required to complete highly demanding tasks under intense time pressure. Precision, concentration, and craftsmanship often determine the outcome by only a handful of points.

The competitions in Shanghai were every bit as tense. Both Tobias Kelz and Finn Gücker had to fight for every detail right up to the end. The Cabinetmaking competition was particularly dramatic in its closing minutes. Tobias Kelz completed his competition piece only moments before time expired, once again demonstrating the resilience and composure required at this level.

The fact that just one point ultimately separated gold from silver is a striking indication of how closely matched the world’s leading cabinetmakers have become.

In the Cabinetmaking competition, Tobias Kelz was required to produce a sophisticated piece of furniture using solid wood and engineered wood panels. The project involved the precise execution of 22 different corner joints. Individual components were also assessed during the competition before they could be assembled into the finished piece of furniture.

In the Joinery competition, Finn Gücker faced the challenge of constructing a complex staircase incorporating curved elements, multiple types of joints, and exacting requirements for dimensional accuracy and workmanship. It was the first time in several years that a staircase had featured as a competition project in this skill, placing exceptional demands on the competitors.

Alongside Tobias Kelz’s gold-medal success, Finn Gücker also achieved an outstanding result. His fifth-place finish puts him among the world’s leading young joiners. He was additionally awarded a Medal of Excellence, which at WorldSkills is presented only to competitors who achieve at least 700 out of a possible 800 points, recognizing performance at an internationally exceptional level.

“We are absolutely delighted with these results. Tobias and Finn demonstrated in Shanghai exactly what the next generation of German cabinetmakers and joiners is capable of: passion, precision, perseverance, and a willingness to continually take on new challenges. Achievements like these do not happen by chance. They are the result of excellent vocational training, intensive support, and countless hours of hard work,” explains Dr. Katharina Gamillscheg, Chief Executive Officer of Tischler Schreiner Deutschland.

The foundations for achievements of this kind are laid during vocational training. Tobias Kelz and Finn Gücker progressed through regional and national competitions to earn places on the German national team, before securing their WorldSkills spots in a selection competition against other candidates in early 2026.

The two competitors were supported by national coaches Jan Dröge and Markus Rauscher, who spent months preparing them intensively for the challenges they would face in Shanghai. During several weeks of training at the Holzfachschule Bad Wildungen woodworking college, Kelz and Gücker prepared specifically for the demands of international competition.

The success in Shanghai also sends a strong signal about the effectiveness of Germany’s dual vocational training system in the cabinetmaking and joinery trades. It demonstrates that young German craftspeople are fully capable of competing successfully with the very best in their professions on the international stage.

Tischler Schreiner Deutschland extends its thanks to strategic partner KLEIBERIT and to the supporters Holzfachschule Bad Wildungen, Fachverband Leben Raum Gestaltung Hessen/Rheinland-Pfalz, Festool, SPAX, DEWALT, Dictum, Harvey Woodworking, Holz-Tusche, Ohnemus Laubholzsägewerk, Klöpfer Holzhandel, Sautershop, Systemshop24, WORKS Kiefner, ZEG, as well as media partner BM.

Their support played a vital role in making the team’s intensive preparation for WorldSkills 2026 possible.

WorldSkills is widely recognized as the world championship of vocational skills and is held every two years. At WorldSkills 2026 in Shanghai, around 1,600 young skilled professionals from across the globe competed in nearly 70 skills. The competitions took place from September 22 to 27, with participants assessed on technical quality, precision, time management, and their ability to execute complex tasks under competition conditions.

The German cabinetmaking and joinery team competed in the Cabinetmaking and Joinery skills. Tischler Schreiner Deutschland has been sending young professionals to WorldSkills since 1975 and has been a well-established presence in international skills competitions for decades.

With Tobias Kelz winning gold and Finn Gücker receiving a Medal of Excellence in Shanghai, the team has added another chapter to this long tradition of success.