Style guide

Introduction

This style guide is a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication. The implementation of a style guide provides quality and uniformity in style and formatting of a document.

WorldSkills has adopted the Oxford Guide to Style, Oxford University Press, 2003 (OUP) as the definitive source for written style. This document highlights commonly referenced topics from the book and in some case provides a WorldSkills “house style” extension, adaptation, or override. These interpretations are identified by footnotes.

This document also covers WorldSkills specific terminology and use cases.

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Language

Text written for an international audience must be clear and unambiguous to avoid misunderstanding by the reader who may not have English as their first language. Avoid using clichés, colloquialisms, and non-English words. Use words that plainly describe the topic so the reader understands the meaning and the text can easily be translated if required. Simple thoughts, simply expressed.

Avoid repetition of terms that mean the same thing or phrases that add nothing to the meaning of the text. For example: this is our strategy rather than this is our strategy going forward.

Use	Don’t use
collaborate	collaborate together
red	red in colour
shorter	shorter in length
now	at this moment in time
without	in the absence of

Some documentation is technical by nature and may contain industry specific jargon. In all cases be mindful of the audience, as an Expert from any country/region may easily understand technical terms related to their skill, those outside the skill may not.

Be consistent with the tense of the material. At the beginning of the written piece determine whether past, present or future tense is needed.

Be consistent with the grammatical person of the text within the written piece. For most items refer to WorldSkills in the third person rather than first person.

For example: WorldSkills has many Members rather than We have many Members.

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Capitalization and treatment of names

Capitalize the first letter of a word that begins a sentence, or the first of a set of words used as a sentence, either initially or after a full point, a question mark, or an exclamation mark.

Capitalize the first letter of headings and captions, though not of items in lists unless each element in the list forms a complete and separate sentence.

Capitalize names of recognized geographical region, whether topographical, astronomical, political, or merely legendary or popular.

Capitalize the names of institutions, organizations, societies and movements.

For correct capitalization of Member names, countries and regions see www.worldskills.org/members.

Capitalize skill names if referring to the skill name such as competing in Welding, but not if referring to it as a verb as in he had difficulty in welding the plates. For correct capitalization of skill names see www.worldskills.org/skills.

Any official title in WorldSkills is capitalized: Expert, Competitor, Technical Delegate, Workshop Manager, etc.

Correct	Incorrect
This is a heading	This Is A Heading
Technical Delegate	Technical delegate
General Assembly	General assembly

Pronouns

English has no third-person singular pronoun to denote common gender, and no possessive adjective referring to both men and women. Rather than use he, him, his for both sexes, rephrase the sentence or avoid pronouns altogether. Rather than an Expert must wear his pass use Experts must wear their passes.

The term their can be used to refer to a third-person in the singular. When referring to the position of a singular person, rather than the President presented his speech use the President presented their speech.

Correct	Incorrect
their	his/hers
they	he/she

WorldSkills projects and activities

All WorldSkills projects and activities are capitalized: WorldSkills Champion, General Assembly, WorldSkills Conference Programme, WorldSkills Leaders Forum, etc.

If you wish to reduce the title in a piece of writing, on first mention use the full name such as WorldSkills Foundation or WorldSkills Conference Programme. Afterwards, in the same piece of writing, it can be shortened to the appropriate countable noun such as the Foundation or the Programme and retain the capitalization.

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Numbers

Figures or words?

In written contexts use words for numbers below 10. However, in tables, figures, and other display elements, numerals should be used. When a sentence contains one or more figures of 10 or above, however, use numerals throughout for consistency within that sentence.

Examples:

between 1 and 100 (not between one and 100)

8, 76, and 105 (not eight, 76, and 105).

This convention holds only for the sentence where this combination of numbers occurs: it does not influence usage elsewhere in the text unless a similar situation exists.

However, clarity for the reader is always more important than blind adherence to rule, and in some contexts a different approach is necessary. For example, it is sometimes clearer when two sets of figures are mixed to use words for one and figures for the other, as in thirty 8-page pamphlets, or nine 6-room flats. Anything more complicated, or involving more than two sets of quantities, is probably presented more clearly in a table.

Do not start a sentence with numerals. Recast the sentence or use words.

Spell out ordinal numbers below 10 – first, second, third, fourth.

When referring to WorldSkills Competition numbers use figures such as 41st, 42nd and 43rd. Do not use superscripted ordinals such as 41st, 42nd and 43rd. Ensure that the software being used to write documents does not automatically superscript ordinals. Such automation should be turned off.

Correct	Incorrect
five	5
first	1st
43rd	43rd

Punctuation

In all contexts, use commas in numbers of more than three figures such as 1,863 or 6,523.

Correct	Incorrect
1,000	1000
100,000	100 000
43rd	43rd

Ranges

For a span of numbers generally, use an en rule and use the full number to define the start end of the range: 30–31, 42–43, 132–136, and 1,841–1,845.

When describing a range, repeat the quantity as necessary to avoid ambiguity: one thousand to two thousand litres, 10 billion to 20 billion light years away. The elision one to two thousand litres means the amount starts at only one litre, and 10 to 20 billion light years away means the distance begins only 10 light years away.

Correct	Incorrect
31–32	31–2
One thousand to two thousand	One to two thousand

Measurement

Always use metric measurements in text. If quoting imperial measurements show the metric equivalent in parentheses. Ensure the correct abbreviation is used for the unit of measurement in question. The unit is separated from the number of units by a single space. Do not add an s to signify measurement of more than one. It is 15 km and not 15 kms. Use the full spelling of the unit and not the abbreviation if the amount is expressed as text. For example: eight kilograms.

Distance and length

• millimetre (mm)
• centimetre (cm)
• metre (m)
• kilometre (km)

Area

• square metre (m2)

Volume

• cubic metre (m3)
• cubic centimetre (cm3) or (cc)

Liquid volume

• litre (l)
• millilitre (ml)

Mass

• gram (g)
• kilogram (kg)

Temperature

• degree Celsius (°C)

Speed, velocity

• metre per second (m/s)
• kilometre per hour (km/h)

Time

• hour (hr)
• minute (min)
• second (sec)

Electricity

• volt (V)
• watt (W)
• ampere, amp (A)
• hertz (Hz)

Correct	Incorrect
10,000 m2	10,000 sqm 10,000 m2
60 km/h	60 Kph
100 km	100 kms
10 sec	10 secs

Currency

Amounts of money are either spelt out in words with the unit of currency or printed in numerals with the symbols or abbreviations: twenty-five euro, thirteen dollars, £25, $13; round numbers lend themselves to words better than do precise amounts, though even these may need to be spelt out where absolute clarity is vital, as in legal documents. For amounts of millions and above, and for thousands in financial contexts, it is permissible to combine symbols, numerals, words, and abbreviations, according to the conventions of the context in which they appear: £5 million, $15 billion.

Where symbols or abbreviations are used, such as £ (pounds), $ (dollars), ¥ (yen or yuan), € (euro) they precede the figures. There is no space after symbols.

Noting that the term euro not capitalized and is both singular and plural in English: do not write euros.

To avoid any confusion symbols should be discarded altogether and ISO 4217 currency codes used instead, such as GBP, EUR, and AUD for the British pound, European euro and Australian dollar written with a space as GBP 250, EUR 500 or AUD 25,000.

Correct	Incorrect
EUR 1,000	1,000 euros
USD 1,000	US$1,000

Percentages

For whole percentages less than 10 write out the amount in words with the spelt-out per cent. For example: five per cent. In all other contexts use numbers and the symbol % with no proceeding space. For example: 25.75%. When listing data in tables use numbers and the symbol including whole percentages less than 10.

Correct	Incorrect
five per cent	5 percent
25.75%	25.75 %

File names and locations

When referring to a file name or a file path enclose the reference in angle brackets (< >).

For example:

<Dropbox (WS Secretariat)/WSI/Information/WorldSkills/WS_01_brand_book.pdf>
<WS_02_written_style_guide>

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Punctuation

Full point

The full point is also called full stop or period. It ends a sentence that is neither a question nor an exclamation; the next word normally takes a capital letter. Only use a single space after a period before starting a new sentence.

Do not use a full point in headlines, column headings, or titles of words, even where these take the form of a full sentence.

The full point is used in many abbreviated forms. If the full point of an abbreviation closes the sentence, there is no second point.

Comma

The correct use of commas is complex and a balance needs to be struck between using too few commas and causing confusion, and using too many and causing distraction.

For simplicity, use commas to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence or separating items in a list.

Avoid using commas to join unrelated items. Start a new sentence instead.

When using a comma to separate items in a list, ensure you use a comma before the and or or in the concluding item. For example:

The colours red, yellow, blue, and green.

This removes ambiguity, especially in lists that contain compounded items:

The skills Welding, Mechatronics, and Plumbing and Heating

Exclamation mark

The exclamation mark follows emphatic statements, commands and interjections expressing emotion. It is useful when it adds emphasis or excitement to an otherwise flat statement of instruction. Use exclamation marks sparingly, overuse reduces their impact.

Ampersand

The ampersand (&) is a sign standing for the word and. Do not use an ampersand in headings or body text always use the full word and. It may be used in common abbreviations such as B&W for black and white and in tables where space is limited. Do not use an ampersand in a skill, sector or Member name in any case.

Correct	Incorrect
Sponsorship and Partnership	Sponsorship & Partnership

Slash

Use the slash to express a relationship between two or more things where the relationship is an alternative to the other as in either/or or his/her. It is used closed up (no spaces) on either side. Do not use in place of and. Only use in the context of or.

Where possible do not use a slash to link elements comprising more than one word since the relationship is not immediately clear.

Note: This style may not apply to skill names where the slash is used to help define the skill. See www.worldskills.org/skills for a full listing of current skill names

Correct	Incorrect
either/or	either / or

En rule and hyphen

For ease of use the en rule and hyphen are to be treated the same. They are both used closed up (no spaces).

Used to express the meaning of to or and between words of equal importance. Such as June-July and not June - July.

Used to hyphenate compound words and names such as part-time or Baden-Powell.

Correct	Incorrect
June-July	June – July

Em rule and dash

For ease of use the em rule and dash are to be treated the same. They are used with a space on either side. Some software will automatically convert an en rule to an em rule when spaces are used in this way.

No punctuation should precede a single dash or the opening one of a pair (if used as a parenthetical dash). A closing dash may be preceded by an exclamation or question mark, but not by a comma, semicolon, colon or full point. Do not capitalize a word, other than a proper noun, after a dash, even if it begins a sentence.

Use the dash to clarify sentence structure, to express a more pronounced break in the sentence structure than commas, and to draw more attention to the enclosed phrase than parentheses:

There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.

Quotations

Quotation marks, also called inverted commas, are of two types: single (‘ ’) and double (“ ”). Enclose quoted matter between double quotation marks and use single quotation marks for a quotation within a quotation.

In direct speech, various punctuation conventions are used to separate the quoted words from the rest of the text: this allows a reader to follow what’s going on.

The words that are actually spoken should be enclosed in double inverted commas:

“He’s very clever, you know.”

Every time a new speaker says something, start a new paragraph:

“They think it’s a more respectable job,” said Jo.

“I don’t agree,” I replied.

There should be a comma, full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end of a piece of speech. This is placed inside the closing inverted comma.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

“Just a moment!” she shouted.

“You’re right,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to win.”

If direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, use a comma to introduce the piece of speech, placed before the first inverted comma:

Steve replied, “No problem.”

If the direct speech is broken up by information about who is speaking, use a comma (or a question mark or exclamation mark) to end the first piece of speech and a full stop or another comma before the second piece (before the inverted comma):

“You’re right,” he said. “It feels strange.”

“Thinking back,” she said, “he didn’t expect to win.”

“No!” he cried.“ You can’t leave now!”

Avoid breaking up a quote where there is no punctuation in the quote. Doing so will require the comma to be placed outside the inverted comma:

“This”, said Mr Hoey, “is a growing organization.”

Consider placing the speaker information before or after the quote following the above conventions on punctuation:

Mr Hoey said, “This is a growing Organization.”

“This is a growing organization,” said Mr Hoey.

If the quotation is part of a sentence then punctuation sits outside the inverted comma:

Mr Hoey has said that WorldSkills “is a growing organization”.

Parentheical plurals

Sometimes to express the possibility of a plural an (s) at the end of the noun may be used. However, try to avoid using parenthetical plurals altogether and reword the sentence.

For example:

The CEO will work with the designated Board member(s) to create the agreed working groups.

When (s) is added parenthetically to a noun, the verb should be singular.

Any expense(s) is accounted for.

Do not add parenthetical verbs to make the sentence handle both singular and plural.

Any expense(s) is(are) accounted for.

Where possible, reword the sentence to remove parenthetical plurals and use the plural noun instead.

Any expenses are accounted for.

Correct	Incorrect
Expert(s)	Expert/s

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Lists

Lists are used to arrange and present related elements in a form that is easy for the reader to grasp. Make sure that lists are displayed in the most logical and understandable form.

When listing items generally only the first item has an article (the or a):

The Chair asked for the Vice President for Strategic Affairs, Vice Chair of the Strategy Committee, and Treasurer to assist.

Don’t include an article for each item:

The Chair asked for the Vice President for Strategic Affairs, the Vice Chair of the Strategy Committee, and the Treasurer to assist.

Ordered

Use numbered lists when you wish to show a hierarchy or specific order of the items. Items that are complete sentences start with a capital letter and end in full points.

1. This is the first item in the list.
2. This is the second item.
3. This is the last item in this example.

If the items are not full sentences, then the punctuation is displayed precisely the same as if they had no number separating them.

We shall fight:

1. on the beaches,
2. on the landing grounds,
3. in the fields, and
4. in the streets.

Avoid run-in (in text) ordered lists and enumerators other than numbers. This example uses roman numerals:

The order of the British Empire has five classes of appointment: i) Knight Grand Cross, ii) Knight Commander, iii) Commander, iv) Officer, and v) Member.

Rather display as a numbered list with a new line per element.

The order of the British Empire has five classes of appointment:

1. Knight Grand Cross,
2. Knight Commander,
3. Commander,
4. Officer, and
5. Member.

Unordered

Where all items share the same emphasis or there is no hierarchy use an unordered list. So as not to imply any order, ensure the items are listed alphabetically. The text introducing the list of bullet points should end with a colon.

Possible hosts:

• Australia
• Belgium
• China
• Denmark
• Estonia

If the text that follows the bullet point is not a full sentence, it doesn’t need to begin with a capital letter and it shouldn’t end with a full stop. Commas, semi-colons, and other punctuation is not required between elements in the list.

If the text following the bullet point is a complete sentence, it should begin with a capital letter with a full stop at the end.

The agenda for tonight is as follows:

• We will conduct an annual review of capital gains issues.
• The senior tax manager will talk about outstanding inheritance tax issues.

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Dates

Order

Dates should be shown in the order day, month, year, without internal punctuation, as 12 April 2013. A named day preceding a date is separated by a comma: Thursday, 12 April 2013. There is no comma between month and year: in April 2013.

A decimal point is used to express dates numerically: 12.04.13 – insert leading zero if day or month is a single digit.

Correct	Incorrect
Thursday, 12 April 2013	Thursday 12th April, 2013
12 April 2013	12 April, 2013
12.04.13	12/4/13

Date range

To show a range of days within a month use an en rule as a substitute for the word to. For example

2–7 July 2013. Do not shorten days of the month when describing a range, use 21–23 rather than

21–3.

Date ranges spanning multiple months are separated with the word to and always include the full date (including year), e.g. 30 November 2015 to 4 December 2016.

Show year spans with the full year (1804–1807, 1988–1993, 2001–2003).

An en rule may be used as a substitute for the word to, as in during the years 1976–1979 or the period 1992–2003. Do not use the en rule after from or between, and do not then abbreviate the year: write from 1976 to 1979 and between 1992 and 2001.

Correct	Incorrect
2–7 July 2013	from 2–7 July 2013
30 November 2016 to 4 December 2016	30 November – 4 December 2016

Abbreviation

Names of days and months should generally be shown in full, but where necessary, as in notes, they are abbreviated thus:

Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thur. Fri. Sat.

Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Only May, June, and July escape abbreviation.

Do not use the endings -st, -rd, or -th in conjunction with a figure, as in 12th August 1960.

Where necessary, spell out a year in words at the beginning of a sentence: Nineteen-forty was the year of the Battle of Britain.

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Time of day

To avoid confusion times are to always be expressed in figures with a point between the hour and the minutes. To further eliminate confusion a.m. and p.m. are to be used preceded with a space after the minutes: 4.30 a.m., 5.15 p.m.

To ensure clarity when referring to time, show minutes even if the time is a whole hour: 9.00 a.m. rather than 9 a.m.

Correctly 12.00 a.m. is always midnight and 12.00 p.m. is always noon. However, it is preferable to say explicitly 12 midnight or 12 noon.

For programmes and agendas where less space is available it is preferable to use the twenty-four-hour clock where time is expressed without a.m. or p.m. and single digit hours are padded with a leading zero, and the hours and minutes are separated with a colon: 9.00 a.m. is 09:00 and 1.00 p.m. is 13:00. Noon is 12:00 and midnight is 24:00.

As in dates an en rule may be used as a substitute for the word to as in 09:00–13:00.

If using a.m. or p.m. when showing a time span and both times are in the morning or both are in the afternoon, the first item should not have the a.m. or p.m. label. When the span is a.m. to p.m. or vice versa, both times should have the a.m. or p.m. label.

For example, 9.00–10.00 a.m. or 9.30 a.m.–2.30 p.m.

Correct	Incorrect
9.00 a.m.	9.00am 9:00a.m. 9 am
21:00	2100 21.00 hours

Time zones

To indicate that a time is in a particular time zone, place the abbreviation GMT and the offset amount in parentheses after the time with a single space. For clarity internationally avoid using local time zone names or UTC. For example 09:00 (GMT+4) to show a time in Abu Dhabi rather than 09:00 (GST) or 5.00 p.m. (GMT–3) to show a time in São Paulo rather than 5.00 p.m. (BRT).

When using GMT offsets be aware of daylight saving times as 09:00 in London during April to October is GMT+1.

Correct	Incorrect
9.00 a.m. (GMT+1)	9.00 a.m. (UTC+1)
21:00 (GMT–3)	21:00 (BRT)

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Internet

Terms

Term	Comment
Internet	Always spell Internet with a capital letter.
email	Lowercase with no hyphen.
Web	When referring to the Web use a capital letter.
website	Lowercase one word. Used by itself website refers to the WorldSkills website (www.worldskills.org) as in refer to the website for the latest agendas. If referring to a specific website then name that website as in visit the UNIDO website for more information.

Reference

When writing a link to a website omit “http://” or any trailing slash if the URL starts with “www” as in www.worldskills.org or www.skills-netherlands.nl. If the URL is a link to a secure connection then include “https://” as in https://worldskills.org.

If the URL does not start with “www” then include http:// as in http://forums.worldskills.org.

Where possible use a shortcut URL when referring to links within the website as in www.worldskills.org/GA2012, www.worldskills.org/secretariat rather than www.worldskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1270&Itemid=113 or www.worldskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=364. Contact the Information Systems Manager to find out if a shortcut URL is available.

Always ensure that any URL is clickable in any DOC or PDF. Some software will automatically create a link. Ensure that when a PDF is created the link is also clickable when it is produced.

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Spelling

Oxford spelling is to be used. As such the suffix -ize instead of -ise is to be used. This does not affect the spelling of words ending in -yse, such as analyse, and paralyse.

Sometime a skill name will not adhere to this rule due to approval periods associated with naming. For correct spelling of skill names see www.worldskills.org/skills.

Here are some general examples of Oxford spelling:

• analyse
• behaviour
• catalogue
• centre
• defence
• globalization
• honour
• organization
• programme
• realize

If in doubt of any spelling use http://oxforddictionaries.com for reference.

Always use the primary spelling and not the “also” reference.

If your intended word does not appear in the Oxford dictionary do not use the word. Such obscure word choice should be avoided.

Exceptions

Due to conventional usage in some legal and other contexts some spellings in the Oxford dictionary are overridden here.

Override	Oxford spelling
trade mark	trademark

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Abbreviations

Punctuation

Traditionally, abbreviations were supposed to end in full points while contractions did not. However, this has evolved to avoid confusion with different terms and there is no longer a definite rule. For example, St. with a point is the abbreviation for Street to avoid confusion with St which is the abbreviation for Saint.

If in doubt of any use of a point in an abbreviation use http://oxforddictionaries.com for reference.

For initialisms do not use points. For example, use US or UK instead of U.S. or U.K.

If an abbreviation ends with a full point but does not end the sentence, other punctuation follows naturally. If the abbreviation ends the sentence, there is no second full point.

Correct	Incorrect
Mr	Mr.
Mrs	Mrs.
Dr	Dr.
Prof.	Prof
US	U.S.

Possessives and plurals

Abbreviations and initialisms form the possessive in the normal way with -’s: CEO’s travel. Most abbreviations and initialisms form the plural by adding -s: TDs, ODs. Do not use an apostrophe when making an abbreviation or initialism plural.

Indefinite article

The choice between a and an before an abbreviation depends on pronunciation, not spelling.

Use a before abbreviations beginning with a consonant sound, including an aspirated h (as in horse or hand) and a vowel pronounced with the sounds of w or y.

Use an before abbreviations beginning with a vowel sound including an unaspirated **h (as in hour or honour)

Correct	Incorrect
a TD	an TD
a WM	an WM
an OD	a OD
an HM	a HM

Definite article

Acronyms such as OSOC (pronounced oh-soc) do not take a definite article (the) so 50 schools attended OSOC.

Initialisms take the definite article when the long form includes a countable noun such as CPW, WSC, WSF, WSCT, WSCP, but not WSI, HSE.

Where the initialism includes a year reference for an event, do not include the definite article, e.g. WSC2017, WSCF2016. So whilst you would write I am attending the WSC you would write I am attending WSC2017 without the definite article.

Initialisms would take the definite article when the constructing a sentence which refers to a specific noun relative to the initialism, e.g. the WSI brand book, or the HSE plan.

e.g., i.e., etc.

Do not confuse e.g. meaning “for example” with i.e. meaning “that is”. Compare hand tools, e.g. hammer and screwdriver with hand tools, i.e. those able to be held in the user’s hands. Write both with two points and no spaces and preceded by a comma. Do not start a sentence with e.g. or i.e. rather use the full form For example or That is.

In full etc is et cetera, meaning “and other things”. Write in lowercase with a point. It is preceded by a comma if it follows more than one listed item: robins, sparrows, etc.

Do not write and etc. as it already includes the meaning of “and”. Do not end a list with etc. if it starts with e.g., including, for example, or such as, since these indicate that the list is to be incomplete.

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WorldSkills specific style

Full terminology and explanations can be found in the glossary: https://glossary.worldskills.org.

WorldSkills is always written in body text with a capital “W” and a capital “S” with no space in between.

Whilst there are numerous abbreviations that contain WS as an abbreviation of WorldSkills, never abbreviate WorldSkills to WS by itself.

Correct	Incorrect
WorldSkills	World Skills Worldskills worldskills world skills WS

Possessives and plurals

Do not add an apostrophe to show WorldSkills possession such as WorldSkills’ Members. Omit the apostrophe and use WorldSkills Members, WorldSkills Mission, WorldSkills Competitions, etc. Do not make the word WorldSkills into the plural form WorldSkillses as there is only one movement.

WorldSkills Member countries and regions

Not all WorldSkills Members represent countries; some represent regions of countries. To correctly refer to them collectively use the term countries and regions. When referring to a non-specific individual use country/region or country or region.

Do not use the terms Nation or Nations to describe Member countries or regions.

For correct capitalization and spelling of Member country/region names see www.worldskills.org/members.

Positions

When referring to a position and you wish to show affiliation with a Member use the following format: name, position, member.

For example, John Smith, Expert, Canada or Jane Smith, Technical Delegate, Germany. Do not write Technical Delegate from Germany or Expert of Canada.

WorldSkills Competition

Refer to the specific WorldSkills Competition with the number of the competition followed by city, country, year, e.g. 42nd WorldSkills Competition, Leipzig, Germany 2013, this can be shortened to 42nd WorldSkills Competition or WorldSkills Leipzig 2013. This can be abbreviated to WSC generally or to WSCyear for a specific WorldSkills Competition, e.g. WSC2013.

Where a host city has not yet been declared, refer to the WorldSkills Competition as WorldSkills Competition year, e.g. WorldSkills Competition 2019.

On first mention use the full name:

• WorldSkills Competition (when referring to a non-specific WorldSkills Competition, as in The WorldSkills Competition is the core product of WorldSkills International), or
• WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 (when referring to a specific WorldSkills Competition).

Afterwards, in the same piece of writing, it can be shortened to the Competition.

Correct	Incorrect
WorldSkills Competition 43rd WorldSkills Competition WorldSkills São Paulo 2015	2015 WorldSkills Competition São Paulo Worldskills WorldSkills São Paulo world skills WorldSkills 2015 WorldSkills Competition 2015 (only acceptable if the host city has not been named)

Skill competition and Skills competition

To avoid confusion between the two there is no requirement to capitalize competition. Only capitalize the word competition if it is part of the name of the event such as the WorldSkills Australia National Competition or the general term WorldSkills Competition. In all other cases use competition in lowercase (With the exception of the shorted term for the event – see 13.3).

Skill Competition

A skill competition is the competition in a singular skill. When referring to a skill competition use the name of the skill: Welding, rather than the phrase Welding competition. Skill competition can be plural as in Welding and Joinery are skill competitions.

For correct spelling and capitalization of skill competitions see www.worldskills.org/skills.

Correct	Incorrect
Welding	Welding competition
skill competition	skills competition (when referring to an individual skill)

Skills Competition

Skills plural refers to all of the skills forming one event. So EuroSkills Lille 2014 was the largest skills competition in Europe. Skills competition can also be used in the plural when referring to multiple events such as WorldSkills Members stage regular skills competitions.

A skills competition is made up of all the individual skill competitions.

Regional and National Competitions

When referring to a regional or national competitions, do not capitalize the word national or **regional unless the word occurs in an event name.

For example: there are four regional competitions around the world, and specific to an event: WorldSkills France National Competition.

Skill sectors

Skill competitions are grouped together into six sectors that reflect those in the global economy: Transportation and Logistics, Construction and Building Technology, Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Information and Communication Technology, Creative Arts and Fashion, and Social and Personal Services.

Correct	Incorrect
skill sectors	skill categories skill areas

Competition Organizer

The Competition Organizer is the organization that is tasked with organizing the overall event that encompasses the WorldSkills Competition. Traditionally the organizer has been the Member. Recently separate companies have been setup specifically for this purpose, e.g. WorldSkills London 2011 Ltd and WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 GmbH. These organizations can be abbreviated to WSL2011 and WSL2013 respectively. Use the city name initial as the third letter followed by the year of the event. However, if the city name is two or more words the Secretariat will determine the abbreviation. For example, the abbreviation WSSP2015 may be used to describe the Competition Organizer WorldSkills São Paulo 2015.

Correct	Incorrect
Competition Organizer	Organizing Committee

WorldSkills event

Each specific WorldSkills event that encompasses a WorldSkills Competition is to be referred to as WorldSkills City Year, e.g. WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

Never abbreviate the event. This avoids confusion with the Competition Organizer; always write the event name in full. Remember that the competition is part of the event and the competition abbreviation can be used such as WSC2017.

Meeting terminology

The following is the required use of terms for meetings, minutes, and relevant documentation to ensure consistency and correctness of use.

Ratify

The General Assembly ratifies a new document or an update to a document. Ratification is the actuation of (the act of) making a document (e.g. Constitution, Standing Orders, Code of Ethics) or certificate (e.g. membership) official (i.e. affecting rules, policies, or “laws” of WSI).

Only the General Assembly can ratify a document or certificate.

Adopt

The General Assembly formally accepts or approves a recommendation that affects governance, policy, or strategy that was approved by the Board, Competitions Committee, or Strategy Committee.

Only the General Assembly can adopt a recommendation or proposal.

Approve

The General Assembly can approve a proposal from the Board, Competitions Committee, or Strategy Committee. The Board can approve a proposal from the Competitions Committee, Strategy Committee, CEO, Competition Organizer or Member. The Competitions Committee and Strategy Committee can approve a proposal from the Chair or Vice Chair, Secretariat, Board, Member or Competition Organizer. Approval is for recommendations or submissions that are not governance or policy – they tend to be more operational or administrative or implementation of strategy.

The General Assembly, Board, Competitions Committee, or Strategy Committee can approve a proposal.

Recommend

A person or body formally delivers a proposal or recommendation or application to a body of WSI for decision, approval or adoption that includes a draft resolution or minute which the receiving person or body will formally approve/adopt or reject.

Submit

A person or body formally delivers a proposal or recommendation or application to a body of WSI for decision, approval or adoption.

Present

A person or body formally delivers a proposal or recommendation or application to a body of WSI for discussion or review for information only no decision, approval or adoption is anticipated or required.

Prepare

A person or body prepares a (draft) document about a proposal or topic to be considered.

Decide

A person or body either makes a choice from a number of alternatives or gives a judgement on a matter.

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Templates

All documentation is to be created from a Word/PowerPoint/Excel template. Templates are available for each area/organization:

Movement

• WorldSkills

Focus areas

• Career Building
• Education and Training
• International Cooperation
• Promoting Skills
• Research
• Skills Competitions

Organization

• WorldSkills Foundation
• WorldSkills International

The templates are available as a set for each area/organization. Make sure you choose the appropriate template for the specific focus area or organization.

Within each set are the following templates:

*_agenda_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create new agendas for meetings.

*_doc_cover_num_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create standard documents with a cover page and numbered headings/sections.

*_doc_cover_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create standard documents with a cover page.

*_doc_landscape_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create standard landscape documents.

*_doc_num_landscape_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create standard landscape documents with numbered headings/sections.

*_doc_num_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create standard documents with numbered headings/sections.

*_doc_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create standard documents.

*_letter_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create standard letters.

*_minutes_vn.n.dotx

Use this template to create new minute documents meetings.

*_powerpoint_vn.n.potx

Use this template to create new PowerPoint presentations. This template has layouts for each different focus area.

*_spreadsheet_landscape_vn.n.xltx

Use this template to create Excel spreadsheets that will be printed in landscape.

*_spreadsheet_vn.n.xltx

Use this template to create Excel spreadsheets that will be printed in portrait.

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Quick Reference

Section	Correct	Incorrect
Language	collaborate WorldSkills has many Members	collaborate together We have many Members
Capitalization	This is a heading Technical Delegate General Assembly	This Is A Heading Technical delegate General assembly
Pronouns	their they	his/hers he/she
Numbers	five first 43rd 1,000 100,000 31–32	5 1st 43rd 1000 100 000 31–2
Measurement	m2 km/h km min sec	sqm Kph Kms mins secs
Currency	EUR 1,000 USD 1,000	1,000 euros US$1,000
Punctuation	Sponsorship and Partnership either/or June-July “This is a growing organization,” said Mr Hoey.	Sponsorship & Partnership either / or June – July “This is a growing organization”, said Mr Hoey.
Dates	Thursday, 12 April 2013 12 April 2013 12.04.13 2–7 July 2013	Thursday 12th April, 2013 12 April, 2013 12/4/13 from 2–7 July 2013
Time	9.00 a.m. 21:00 09:00 (GMT–3)	9.00am 9:00a.m. 9 am 2100 21.00 hours 09:00 (BRT)
Internet	email website www.worldskills.org www.worldskills.org/secretariat	e-mail web site http://www.worldskills.org http://www.worldskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=364
Spelling	organize centre honour	organise center honor
Abbreviations	Mr e.g.	Mr. eg:

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Quick ReferenceWorldSkills terminology

Refer to glossary.worldskills.org for all terminology, descriptions, and abbreviations.

Correct	Abbreviation	Incorrect
Board of Directors member	BoD member	Board of Directors Member board of directors member Board of directors member
Competition Organizer	CO	Organizing Committee
Competitors	C	competitors Participants champions
General Assembly General Assembly 2008 General Assembly 2010	GA	GA2008 GA2010 General assembly 2008 General Assembly general assembly 2010
Global Partner(s)	GP(s)	Global Sponsors Global Industry Partner(s) GIP(s) Global industry partner(s) Industry Partner(s) GIPS
Medallist	-	medalist Medalist
skill sectors	-	skill categories skill areas
WorldSkills	-	World Skills Worldskills worldskills world skills WS
WorldSkills Champion Champion	-	WorldSkills champion champion worldskills world skills WS
WorldSkills Champions Forum	WSCF	WorldSkills champions forum WorldSkills Champions forum Champions forum
WorldSkills Competition Champions Forum	WSC	WorldSkills competition The competition International Competition
WorldSkills Conference Programme Conference Programme	WSCP	WorldSkills Conferences WorldSkills conference programme WorldSkills programme
WorldSkills Foundation	WSF	World Skills foundation World skills foundation Worldskills Foundation Worldskills foundation
WorldSkills International	WSI	World Skills international World skills international Worldskills International Worldskills international
WorldSkills Member country/region Member country/region	-	WorldSkills Member country WorldSkills Member Country/Region Member Country/Region Member country Member Nation
WorldSkills Member(s) Members(s)	-	WorldSkills member(s) member(s) Member Country/Region Member country Member Nation
WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 43rd WorldSkills Competition	WSC2015	WorldSkills Competition São Paulo 2015 WorldSkills São Paulo WorldSkills São Paulo WorldSkills 2015 WorldSkills Competition 2015 43rd WorldSkills Competition
Try-a-Skill	-	Try a Trade try a skill Try a Skill