Summary
WorldSkills is an international charity that organises world and national championships for vocational skills[1] and is held every two years in different parts of the world, and also hosts conferences about vocational skills.[2] WorldSkills describes itself as the global hub for skills.[3]
The aims of the competitions include demonstrating the advantages of learning a vocational skill,[4] and encouraging 'parity of esteem' between vocational and academic qualifications.[5]
The city of Kazan, Russia, hosted the 45th WorldSkills Competition in 2019. At the previous event, WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, there were competitions in 51 skills areas with roughly 1,300 young people taking part.[6]
WorldSkills International, formerly known as the International Vocational Training Organization (IVTO), was founded in the 1940s with the goal of creating new employment opportunities for young people in some of the economies that were devastated by the Second World War.[7][8][9] It operates in 85 different countries and regions.[10]
Overview edit
WorldSkills rose out of the ruins of the Second World War, which devastated the economies of Europe and created a huge skills shortage that threatened a new economic depression. Some took this challenge as an opportunity to introduce young people to the world of vocational skills. Francisco Albert Vidal was charged with creating a skills contest for the youth of Spain and Portugal. Madrid 1950 was a modest event by today’s standards but an international movement was born. The competition grew rapidly. Young people from Germany, Great Britain, France, Morocco and Switzerland answered the call, with two competitors travelling to Spain unannounced and at their own expense. The competition moved abroad for the first time, to Brussels in Belgium. It was the start of the WorldSkills movement expanding across the globe. By the end of the 1960s, international competitions had been held in Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Then came the biggest leap so far with Tokyo as the host city for 1970. By the end of the 1980s, Atlanta in the USA, Sydney in Australia, Seoul in Korea, and Chinese Taipei had all welcomed what was becoming the world’s greatest international vocational skills event.[11]
Governed by an international Board of Directors and administered by the WorldSkills Secretariat, WSI's mission is "To raise the profile and recognition of skilled people, and show how important skills are in achieving economic growth and personal success".[3]
Among its main objectives are:
- Promote the exchange between young professionals from various regions of the world.
- Exchange of skills, experience and technological innovations.
- Raise the understanding in governments, education and industry to the importance of skills training.
- Raise the awareness of youth and those who influence youth to the opportunities available in skilled professions.
Medals are awarded during the competition: gold, silver and bronze. Medallions for Excellence are also awarded to those Competitors who achieve above-average scores in their contest areas.
Competitions edit
The WorldSkills Competition is currently held every two years.
Previous Competitions edit
By country
| Country | Competitions hosted |
|---|---|
 Spain |
11 (1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1967, 1971, 1975) |
 Netherlands |
3 (1966, 1977, 1991) |
 Switzerland |
3 (1968, 1997, 2003) |
 Japan |
3 (1970, 1985, 2007) |
 United Kingdom |
3 (1965, 1989, 2011) |
 Germany |
3 (1961, 1973, 2013) |
 Belgium |
2 (1958, 1969) |
 Ireland |
2 (1963, 1979) |
 South Korea |
2 (1978, 2001) |
 Canada |
2 (1999, 2009) |
 France |
1 (1995) (Scheduled for 2024) |
 Italy |
1 (1959) |
 Portugal |
1 (1964) |
 United States |
1 (1981) |
 Austria |
1 (1983) |
 Australia |
1 (1988) |
 Chinese Taipei |
1 (1993) |
 Finland |
1 (2005) |
 Brazil |
1 (2015) |
 United Arab Emirates |
1 (2017) |
 Russia |
1 (2019) |
 China |
0 (Scheduled for 2022) |
WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 edit
The 46th WorldSkills event will be held in Shanghai, as confirmed by the WorldSkills General Assembly in October 2017. The event was originally scheduled for September 2021, but due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, it was decided to shift the event to 2022.[14] The actual rescheduled date is not yet finalized but is expected to be held from 12 to 17 of October 2022, The slogan for WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 is “New Youth, New Skills, New Dream”.
Some WorldSkills Competition events took place in Cleveland, Ohio in October 2022.[15][16] while others took place in Salzburg, Austria and Finland.[17][18][19] WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition was the official replacement for WorldSkills Shanghai 2022, cancelled in May due to the pandemic.
Future Competitions edit
WorldSkills Lyon 2024 edit
Lyon, France was selected as the host city for the 47th WorldSkills competition.[20] Originally scheduled for 12–17 September 2023, it has been moved back one year due to the decision to postpone by one year the 46th Worldskills event originally scheduled to be held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.[21] This will be the second time that France has hosted the WorldSkills competition, the first time being in 1995.
Medals and awards edit
2015 Medal Table edit
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea (KOR) | 13 | 7 | 5 | 25 |
| 2 | Brazil (BRA) | 11 | 10 | 6 | 27 |
| 3 |  Chinese Taipei (TPE) | 5 | 7 | 5 | 17 |
| 4 | China (CHN) | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 |
| 5 |  Switzerland (SUI) | 1 | 7 | 5 | 13 |
| Totals (5 entries) | 35 | 37 | 25 | 97 | |
2017 Medal Table edit
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China (CHN) | 15 | 7 | 8 | 30 |
| 2 | Switzerland (SUI) | 11 | 6 | 3 | 20 |
| 3 | South Korea (KOR) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| 4 | Brazil (BRA) | 7 | 5 | 3 | 15 |
| 5 | Russia (RUS) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 |
| Totals (5 entries) | 47 | 30 | 23 | 100 | |
2019 Medal Table edit
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China (CHN) | 16 | 14 | 5 | 35 |
| 2 | Russia (RUS) | 14 | 4 | 4 | 22 |
| 3 | South Korea (KOR) | 7 | 6 | 2 | 15 |
| 4 | Chinese Taipei (TPE) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| 5 | Brazil (BRA) | 2 | 5 | 6 | 13 |
| Totals (5 entries) | 44 | 34 | 22 | 100 | |
2022 Medal Table edit
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China (CHN) | 21 | 3 | 4 | 28 |
| 2 | South Korea (KOR) | 11 | 8 | 9 | 28 |
| 3 | Chinese Taipei (TPE) | 6 | 13 | 6 | 25 |
| 4 | Japan (JPN) | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 |
| 5 | France (FRA) | 6 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Totals (5 entries) | 50 | 32 | 31 | 113 | |
Members edit
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Mexico
Mongolia
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Paraguay
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Chinese Taipei
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia
List of the trades represented in WorldSkills edit
Construction and building technology edit
- Architectural Stone masonry
- Bricklaying
- Cabinetmaking
- Carpentry
- Concrete Construction Work
- Electrical Installations
- Joinery
- Landscape Gardening
- Painting and Decorating
- Plastering and Drywall Systems
- Plumbing and Heating
- Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
- Wall and Floor Tiling
Creative arts and fashion edit
- Fashion Technology
- Florist arts
- Graphic Design Technology
- Jewellery
- Visual Merchandising/Window Dressing
- 3D Digital Game Art
Information and communication technology edit
- Mobile Applications Development
- Cyber Security
- Cloud Computing
- Information Network Cabling
- IT Network Systems Administration
- IT Software Solutions for Business
- Print Media Technology
- Web Design
Manufacturing and engineering technology edit
- CNC Milling
- CNC Turning
- Construction Metal Work
- Electronics
- Industrial Control
- Industrial Mechanic Millwright
- Manufacturing Team Challenge
- Mechanical Engineering CAD
- Mechatronics
- Mobile Robotics
- Plastic Die Engineering
- Poly mechanics and Automation
- Prototype Modelling
- Welding
- Water Technology
Social and personal services edit
- Bakery
- Beauty Therapy
- Cooking
- Hairdressing
- Health and Social Care
- Pâtisserie and Confectionery
- Restaurant Service
Transportation and logistics edit
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Auto body Repair
- Automobile Technology
- Car Painting
- Heavy Vehicle Maintenance
- The list was updated to reflect the trades that were covered at the 45th WorldSkills competition held in Kazan, Russia in August 2019.[22]
References edit
- ^ Spindle, Bill. "The Thrill of Victory in Welding, Baking and Bricklaying". Esj.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ Prabhakar, Eva. "Rebooting higher education: It's no longer one size fits all". Khaleejtimes.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Vision". Worldskills.org. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ "Leaders of technical and vocational education and training to gather in Abu Dhabi for WorldSkills Conference 2017". Wam.ae. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "Looking for the world's best bricklayer and most perfect plumber at Abu Dhabi's skills Olympics". Thenational.ae. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "Seminar on '[n]ew directions of vocational training in the knowledge-based society' | VOCEDplus, the international tertiary education and research database". www.voced.edu.au. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "History of WorldSkills". car-o-liner.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "WorldSkills International | UIA Yearbook Profile | Union of International Associations". uia.org. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ https://worldskills.org/members/
- ^ "About us | WorldSkills". worldskills.org. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "Results". Worldskills.org. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 Results". Worldskillsabudhabi2017.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ "S46th WorldSkills Competition postponed". WorldSkills. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
- ^ "USUE Student Bound for WorldSkills Welding Competition - ETV News". etvnews.com. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ McIntosh, Sean (13 October 2022). "Red Deer Polytechnic welding apprentice prepared for WorldSkills Competition - Red Deer Advocate". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "Canadians win medals and medallions at WorldSkills competition - constructconnect.com". Daily Commercial News. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Macinnis, Amie (17 November 2022). "RDP electrician headed to WorldSkills Competition in Austria". LacombeOnline. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Goudie, Zach (18 October 2022). "Mad skills: St. John's hairstylist off to World Skills competition in Finland". CBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "Lyon to host the 47th WorldSkills Competition in 2023". worldskills.org. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ WorldSkills Competition postponed[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Skills". worldskills2019.com. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
External links edit
- Official website