De Vector

WorldSkills puts vocational skills in global spotlight

In Shanghai, young skilled competitors vie for medals as educators, employers and the ILO discuss changing skills.

The 48th edition of WorldSkills, the international competition for vocational skills, is taking place in Shanghai this week. The Netherlands is participating with 25 young skilled competitors in 23 disciplines, ranging from construction and engineering to ICT, hospitality and creative professions.

The competition runs from 22 to 27 September at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. Participants compete in disciplines linked to a wide range of courses and professions. The competitions themselves take place from 23 to 26 September; the closing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday.

Team Netherlands consists of 25 participants. They qualified through the Dutch vocational competitions Skills The Finals, held in March. The Dutch participants include a web developer, automotive technician, bricklayer, chef, furniture maker, media designer and electrical engineer.

WorldSkills presents the competition not only as a contest, but also as a platform for vocational education and labour-market policy. The organisation says that more than 80 members work together on international standards, research and the exchange of proven practices. In doing so, it seeks to make practical skills more visible alongside academic achievements.

The International Labour Organization, the ILO, links the event to the question of how courses should respond to digitalisation, sustainability and changing labour markets. The conference in Shanghai addressed green and digital skills, funding for training and the alignment between employers and education, among other topics.

WorldSkills and the ILO renewed a cooperation agreement during the meeting. Among other things, they intend to work on occupational standards, skills taxonomies and stronger links between employers, employees and training institutions. The agreements are a policy intention; in themselves, they do not constitute a new Dutch education rule.

For the Netherlands, the competition is therefore about more than a medal table. Participation shows which professions are being brought into view in mbo vocational education and what role vocational competitions can play in talent development. The available sources do not demonstrate whether such events also lead to greater inflows into professions facing shortages. Saturday's results likewise say nothing directly about the quality of Dutch vocational education as a whole.

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