Preparation Week for WorldSkills Competition Kicks Off

The Preparation Week for the 48th WorldSkills Competition kicked off in Shanghai on Monday, marking a critical phase in the final stretch towards the global skills event slated to begin in 232 days.

The 48th WorldSkills Competition will take place in Shanghai on September 22-27. The Competition Preparation Week has brought key shareholders together for a series of intensive meetings in the host city to ramp up readiness for the skills contests.

Wang Xiaoping, China's Minister of Human Resources and Social Security and executive director of the 48th WorldSkills Organizing Committee, emphasized China's commitment to delivering a "novel and impactful" competition as envisioned.

"We hope to work with all parties to present a declaration gathering consensus and more WorldSkills achievements," she said, aiming to make these outcomes a distinctive hallmark of the upcoming event and a step toward realizing WorldSkills' 2035 vision.

City Mayor Gong Zheng, also an executive director of the organizing committee, reaffirmed Shanghai's dedication as the host city. With preparations entering the decisive stage, he remarked that the city would listen to feedback and ensure the event is a complete success.

Gong highlighted the competition's broader role as an "accelerator" for talent cultivation, a "booster" for new quality productive forces, and an "amplifier" for high-standard openness, thereby fueling Shanghai's development.

David Hoey, chief executive officer of WorldSkills International, extended his gratitude to the Chinese partners. He said Shanghai will be the focal point of the WorldSkills movement this year.

He stressed that despite global changes, China's commitment has remained "steadfast and unwavering" since the country first participated in the competition in 2017.

He underscored the Competition Preparation Week's importance as a key milestone for ensuring the quality, credibility, and fairness of the competition, directly impacting every participant's experience.

Hoey noted that China has the world's largest vocational education and training system and hosting the WorldSkills Competition is expected to further promote China's development in skills.