Last month in Japan, hundreds of highly trained, super-skilled young people from across the globe gathered for one of the biggest challenges of their careers: a competition between nations to test individual talent and national ability.

It wasn't the Olympic Games, but the WorldSkills competition—a battle between 48 countries to determine who has the most skilled workforce. The UK has risen steadily up the rankings since first entering the competition in 1953. At the last event in 2005, the country came 12th, and this time around the government was keen to break into the top 10, but was eventually pipped into 11th place by Taiwan. Switzerland was the highest ranked European nation.

The biennial competition tests all types of vocational skill, from hairdressing and landscaping to IT and engineering. Simon Bartley is chief executive of UK Skills, the British not-for-profit body set up to develop the nation's skills through competitions and awards. "Developing vocational skills in young people is key to the development of a skilled workforce so this competition is good for the country, society and individuals," he says. "It's very valuable to benchmark ourselves against the level of skills around the world."

Through local and regional competition, 22 people under the age of 22 were chosen this year to compete in different categories. The entrants included a florist, cabinet maker, graphic designer and a brick layer. Bartley says: "WorldSkills gives people the chance to be recognised as the best at their craft in the world. The process makes people more proficient at what they do and often helps their career. If we can improve every apprentice's skills by one per cent, that will have a huge impact on global competitiveness."

Furniture maker John Lambert, 26, took part in WorldSkills in 2003. He found out about the competition through Leeds College of Art and Design, where he had studied his trade. He won his local heat and regional competition and was chosen to become part of the British team. "I had to make a small but complex cabinet in 22 hours, spread over four days," he recalls. "I came ninth overall, which was disappointing, but it opened my eyes to the level of skills people have around the world and what is possible. And it improved my confidence and my social skills."

Lambert is now a project manager at Silver Lining, a company that designs and makes top-end furniture. He says: "I've definitely moved on more than I would have done if I hadn't taken part in WorldSkills. I'm managing people older than me and I get to travel."

The UK is host to the competition in 2011 and will be hoping to challenge the countries that often make the top spots such as Japan, Switzerland and Germany. Gordon Marsden MP is chair of the all-party parliamentary skills group. He says: "The competition is not just about winning. We hope this helps to make some key vocational skills more attractive to young people. And it's also important to remind the nation more broadly how vital these skills are to the country."