More than 400 highly qualified young people competed in 56 skill competitions at Portugal’s 45th National Championship of Professions, SkillsPortugal – Portimão 2023, which took place from 7 to 12 March 2023 at the Portimão Arena under the theme: “The Professions and Sustainable Development Goals”.
The highest scoring medalists at the event now have the opportunity to represent Portugal at EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023 in Poland this September, and at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 in France in September 2024.
For three days between 2-4 February 2023, around 300 of the best students from VET schools and companies across Denmark gathered at MesseC, Fredericia to compete in 45 skill competitions as part of DM I Skills 2023.
Commenting on the event, Søren Heisel, Chairman of SkillsDenmark noted that while DM I Skills is always a unique demonstration of skills, this year it became more apparent how young skilled workers are leading the way in the green agenda.
“Skills have clearly become greener. In the vocational training courses around the country, there is a great focus on sustainability, and this could also be seen in many of the competitions, where waste was weighed, recycled materials were used, the use of plastic was minimised and so on. This is where the green approach starts,” explained Heisel.
Denmark will host the 9th EuroSkills Competition in the city of Herning in 2025. EuroSkills Herning 2025 is scheduled for 9-13 September 2025 at MCH Messecenter Herning, the largest exhibition centre in Scandinavia.
For International Women’s Day 2023 and beyond, the WorldSkills movement is committed to celebrating women in skills, and continuing our work in creating a more equitable world, particularly within skills education and industry.
All WorldSkills and WorldSkills Europe Members are invited to #EmbraceEquity and find ways to forge change where you live, work, and study.
Learn more about how WorldSkills is celebrating International Women’s Day 2023.
More than 200 delegates have arrived in Gdańsk, Poland for the Competition Preparation Meeting (CPM) for EuroSkills 2023.
CPM is a pivotal event in the lead up to a EuroSkills Competition. It is when delegates from all WorldSkills Europe Member Countries gather together with Sponsors, Partners, advisers, and the Competition Organising Team to review and finalise plans for the technical and practical aspects of staging the Competition.
WorldSkills Europe extends a very warm welcome to the 200+ delegates, including those from our 32 Member Countries, as well as Workshop Management teams, Skills Advisor volunteers, and our WorldSkills Europe Sponsors and Partners.
We would also like to thank our excellent CPM hosts, the Foundation For The Development Of The Education System (FRSE) and WorldSkills Poland.
View all photos from the CPM in Gdańsk.
EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023 is the eighth edition of the biennial EuroSkills Competition – the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in Europe. The event is scheduled for 5 to 9 September 2023 at AmberExpo Gdańsk and Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk.
The Competition will welcome 600 talented young professionals and apprentices from 32 countries, who will participate in around 40 skill competitions for the chance to become the Best in Europe in their chosen areas of expertise. Around 100,000 visitors from across Poland and abroad are expected to attend EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023.
EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023 is organised in partnership by Poland’s Foundation For The Development Of The Education System (FRSE), WorldSkills Poland, WorldSkills Europe, the City of Gdańsk and AmberExpo Gdańsk.
Learn more on the EuroSkills Gdańsk website.
View all photos from the CPM in Gdańsk in the WorldSkills Europe gallery on SmugMug.
WorldSkills UK will celebrate those who are championing diversity and inclusion within their organisations in the UK’s technical education sector at a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday 23 February 2023.
The 2023 nominations for the WorldSkills UK Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Heroes Awards, organised in partnership with Skills and Education Group, have shown the strongest applications and entries since the annual Awards were inaugurated in 2020.
Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann, CEO of WorldSkills UK, said: “We were overwhelmed with the number and quality of nominations this year – a significant increase on that of last year – demonstrating the importance the sector is placing on addressing inclusion and diversity and the need for our awards.
“We hope everyone shares our values of equal opportunities throughout education and business and that we can achieve the level playing field we need to allow all young people to be able to reach their potential.
“Our virtual awards ceremony airs online on Thursday, 23 February at 4pm GMT [5pm CET]. Please join us to help celebrate those who are leading the way and are role models for others.”
The ceremony will be hosted by award-winning broadcaster, journalist and presenter Marverine Cole (pictured below).
Marverine Cole said: “These awards are hugely important. Working in the area of media diversity myself, it’s clear that broadcasters are starting to realise the value of having a range of people working and ‘on-screen’, as well as the wealth of perspectives and audiences this brings. Therefore, it’s extremely encouraging to see the excellent work going on in the skills sector. All those nominated and shortlisted are beacons of good practice from which I hope others within, and beyond, the sector will draw inspiration.”
To register to watch the Awards ceremony at 5:00pm (CET) on Thursday, 23 February, visit: worldskillsuk.org/news/worldskills-uk-edi-heroes-awards-2023-shortlist.
New video series to showcase countries that will compete at EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023.
The city of Gdańsk in Poland is preparing to welcome 600 skilled Competitors from 32 European countries to take part in 43 different skill competitions and demonstrations for EuroSkills 2023, which is scheduled for 5 to 9 September 2023.
EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023, with the theme #UnitedBySkills, will be an unprecedented event for Poland, bringing together the industrial, social, and education sectors.
The #UnitedBySkills video campaign will provide supporters with a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the training and preparation of the teams that will compete at the Championships.
Through the series, we will learn how EuroSkills Competitions unite people from many different countries and cultures across Europe through a shared devotion and passion for vocational education and skills excellence.
Watch the all the films in the Facebook Series and on TikTok and check out Skills Finland’s installment below.
An important landmark in Poland’s modern history, associated with solidarity and freedom, the city of Gdańsk is the host city of EuroSkills 2023.
The Competition will be an unprecedented event for Poland, bringing together the industrial, social, and education sectors at AmberExpo Gdańsk and Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk. Around 100,000 visitors from Poland and beyond are expected to visit.
Poland has been a WorldSkills Europe Member Country since 2017, and a WorldSkills International Member since 2018. “The Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) – WorldSkills Poland nodal organisation – has worked on broadening skills acquisition in formal, non-formal and informal education settings over the past three decades. This extensive experience made us eligible to organize such a large and complex event in just a short space of time” – said Paweł Poszytek, WorldSkills Poland Official Delegate, General Director of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System.
This challenge that can only be “achieved through the united effort of Partners, Sponsors, supporters, WorldSkills Europe Members, industries, governments, volunteers, educational institutions, and youth,” said Teija Ripattila, Chair of the Board, WorldSkills Europe.
That is one of the reasons why the theme for EuroSkills 2023 is #UnitedBySkills.
“We must be united like never before. United as a community and united as an inspiring movement that changes the lives of young people. #UnitedBySkills we can change the world,” added Teija.
EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023 is organised in partnership by Poland’s Foundation For The Development Of The Education System (FRSE), WorldSkills Poland, WorldSkills Europe, the City of Gdańsk and AmberExpo Gdańsk.
For more information, visit euroskills2023.org.
Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE is stepping down as CEO of WorldSkills UK in May after more than seven successful years leading the organisation.
Ben Blackledge, who is currently Deputy CEO of WorldSkills UK as well as a Board Member at WorldSkills Europe, will take over as WorldSkills UK interim CEO on Neil’s departure.
Under Neil’s leadership, WorldSkills UK has grown and developed to focus on how international benchmarking from the global WorldSkills network in over 85 countries can be harnessed to drive up standards in skills development across the UK.
Key highlights during Neil’s tenure include:
Neils departure has been carefully planned by the WorldSkills UK Board, with a smooth transition in place. He is due to step down as CEO in May and will remain on the Board to support the organisation through a transition period thereafter.
Ben Blackledge, who has been at WorldSkills UK for over eight years and is currently Deputy CEO, will take over as interim CEO when Neil steps down.
Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, said: “It has been a real privilege to lead WorldSkills UK over the past seven years and to help grow its impact nationally and internationally.
“Working with the Board and Ben and the team, I am very proud of what we have achieved. With the support of the DfE [Department for Education] and so many partners across the UK nations and the world, we are improving training standards through mainstreaming international best practice, championing future skills to align with rapidly changing economic needs and empowering more young people, from all backgrounds, to succeed in work and life.
“While I am looking forward to my leadership next step, I am of course sad to move on from a fantastic organisation with a brilliant team doing such important, life-changing work.”
Neil has made the decision to leave WorldSkills UK to take up a great opportunity as the new CEO at the Whitehall & Industry Group, an independent non-lobbying charity which fosters mutual co-operation, understanding and learning across business, government, not-for-profits and academia.
Teija Ripattila, Chair of the Board, WorldSkills Europe, said: “Neil’s contribution and passion for the development and promotion of skills nationally and internationally has been huge.
“We thank Neil for his commitment to advancing the WorldSkills movement and wish him every success in his new role at the Whitehall and Industry Group.
“We also congratulate Ben on his appointment as interim CEO at WorldSkills UK when Neil steps down in May.”
WorldSkills UK will now begin the process of appointing a permanent new CEO.
Read the full press release on the WorldSkills UK website.
The Commission is now calling on all those involved in the development of skills to submit feedback on proposals for the initiative, which are currently in development.
Held every two years and organised by WorldSkills Europe together with 32 Member Countries, EuroSkills brings together hundreds of young professionals under the age of 25 to compete for the chance to become the Best in Europe in their chosen skill. The event is a spectacular showcase of skills excellence, which inspires thousands of young people who visit to turn their passions into a profession.
WorldSkills Europe is excited to announce that Festo, a leading world-wide supplier of automation technology and a solution provider for technical education, has become a Premium Sponsor.
The WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition concluded with an inspiring Closing Ceremony in Salzburg, Austria yesterday (27 November).
“This event in Salzburg is the last of WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition and so it comes with extra significance,” said David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International. “Over the last few months, as I travelled between the events, I could see that our Competitors, Experts, and Partners did not feel separated by miles or by time separating the different skill competitions, instead, they felt united by Special Edition.”
The last of the 29 Closing Ceremonies took place on 27 November at Messezentrum Salzburg, recognising Competitors in:
“WorldSkills stands for high quality and innovation in vocational education and training. The challenges we are facing together as humankind – in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in fighting climate change – require young, motivated people with the skillset that they have shown here in the last days in Austria and in other destinations over the last two months,” said the Minister, Martin Kocher.
Congratulations to the entire WorldSkills community for showing the world that skills really do change worlds.
Full results and reports from WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition can be viewed online.