While many high school seniors are hunkering down with Parcoursup, an apprentice from Brittany is packing his bags for China. At 20, this young painter–body repairer is about to represent France at WorldSkills, the world championships of trades. He will compete in the Automotive Painting category. He will depart on September 18, 2026 for Shanghai. There, the best young specialists in car bodywork from 24 countries will face off. For the guy who chose the workshop over the lecture hall, the “garage path” has taken on a new dimension. It now resembles a World Cup.
After finishing the 9th grade, this young man from the Côtes-d’Armor was steered toward an automotive painting CAP. A track often described as the “garage route.” In Languenan, near Dinan, people still call it the default orientation. It’s what happens when a middle school student chooses an apprenticeship center (CFA) over the general high school track. Yet there, at the Dinan-Aucaleuc Campus of CMAR Bretagne, this workshop aficionado found his path. The aspiring painter–body worker is named Ewen Gouedard. His journey toward WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 shows how a training program deemed modest can open the doors to the world’s elite.
From Languenan to Shanghai: Ewen Gouedard’s journey in automotive painting
Hailing from Languenan, in the Côtes-d’Armor, Ewen Gouedard has always been surrounded by bodyshops. “My father did this work, so I’ve always been in it. I told myself, ‘I like it, I’ll do this.’ Even when I see a car on the street, I notice a dent; my eye is everywhere on the bodywork,” Gouedard recalls in an interview with ICI Armorique. After completing the 9th grade, he chose a CAP in automotive painting. This notorious “garage route” quickly turned into a full-time passion. The young man then pursued a Professional Qualification Certificate, aiming to refine his craft further, far from the clichés about vocational pathways.
During his studies, a teacher told him about the WorldSkills France championships for skilled trades. The young Breton tried his luck at regional selections and became the Brittany champion in Automotive Painting. In Marseille, in October 2025, he encountered nearly 800 competitors from across France. They competed in 70 trades and were evaluated by more than 700 judges. After 15 hours and 30 minutes of technical tests divided into eight modules, the Costarmorian earned the national gold medal. This result earned him a ticket to the world competition. He then joined the French trade team, which brings together 36 youths from ten regions. “The drive to always surpass myself, to always hunt for the detail, that’s what I liked right away,” explains Gouedard when asked what pushes him to keep taking on new contests.
WorldSkills Shanghai 2026: how Ewen Gouedard is reshaping the “garage path”
For nearly a year, Ewen Gouedard has been meticulously preparing for the global competition. In the MGA Point S garage in Taden where he works, he repeats the motions day after day. At home, in the evenings and on weekends, he hunts for the slightest flaw in his training parts. In Shanghai, he will have to perform several highly codified tasks. He will have to paint a new component, fix a ding, buff a scratch, and create decorative elements. From September 22 to 27, 2026, the 48th WorldSkills competition will be held in Shanghai. “What will make the difference is the person who has been the most rigorous, who has pursued the detail. You have to work a bit more on the decoration because you don’t do that in a shop. Repairing cars is something we do every day,” says the painter–body repairer.
To arrive poised for China, Ewen Gouedard is following a top-tier athletic-style preparation. WorldSkills France has supported him with several technical camps, but also physical and mental training guided by specialized coaches.
The young Breton trains with partners such as 3M in Cergy and Glasurit in Montataire. He continues to work in a company while also practicing boxing to manage pressure. In his luggage for Shanghai, he will carry his spray guns and protective gear. He also wants to send a message: “If you go after the 9th grade via a CFA or a manual trade, it shows you can succeed in that path too.”
