WorldSkills Update 20 June 2012

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Editorial

By David Hoey
Chief Executive Officer, WorldSkills International

The enthusiasm, experience and input from Members which was demonstrated at the General Assembly is testimony to the fact that we can achieve far more working collectively and collaboratively towards our mission and objectives. We experienced a truly interactive General Assembly with Members contributing ideas and viewpoints to the Action Plan 2012-2015.  The Technical Committee and Strategy Committee reported decisions and actions for moving ahead both in terms of improving the Competition and achieving the wider objectives of the WorldSkills vision. 

Sharing Success proved to be a fitting theme for our 2012 Leaders Forum. We have received excellent feedback and videos of the presentations will be available soon. The thoughts and recommendations from our Champions who took part in the Youth Forum were extremely valuable from those who have lived the WorldSkills Experience from a Competitor’s perspective.

Members were updated on the complementary and supporting role of the WorldSkills Foundation along with the introduction of some initial projects. We will continue to communicate about the Foundation and how we can all support and benefit from it.

We were also fortunate to have the support and input from many of our Global Industry Partners in Jeju. The involvement of our Partners with regards to providing a voice of industry and sharing and contributing their experiences and resources is essential to our organisation.

On behalf of the Board, we would like to thank everyone who contributed and participated in a highly successful General Assembly. We look forward to working with you all in the months ahead as we continue preparations for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 and start to implement the Action Plan goals.

News from WorldSkills International

Reflections from the Chairs of the Strategy and Technical Committees

Strategy Committee 

At the recent General Assembly in Jeju the new chair of the Strategy Committee; Jos de Goey shared his vision on the chaotic economic development in the world and the consequences this has for young people.

Skills competitions contribute to the development of VET by promoting excellence and raising the attractiveness. In Jeju, during several working group sessions the delegates discussed the Action Plan 2012-2015. The outcomes of these discussions gives direction to the organization around the activities to be prioritized in the coming months and years and commitment for more investment in marketing and communication is high on the agenda. 

Technical Committee

The 2012 WorldSkills General Assembly saw the Technical Committee meet under the lead of John Shiel, Chair and Stefan Praschl, Vice Chair for the first time. After a few warm welcomes and acknowledgement of the previous chairs, the new Technical Committee was underway. Embracing the mood of change, the Delegates were keen to move forward and make progress to improve the technical aspects of the Competition. 

A series of pro-active group work sessions led to the gathering of valuable information and helped to ensure that all Delegates’ voices were heard. Several proposals were put forward for the 42nd WorldSkills Competition in Leipzig and all were overwhelming agreed by Delegates. Assessment was a particular focus of the sessions and changes to both objective and subjective marking will be seen in Leipzig.  

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WorldSkills through the eyes of a Champion

By Sabrina Keller, Switzerland, Gold Medal winner in Restaurant Service at WorldSkills London 2011

It is unbelievable that the WorldSkills Youth Forum 2012 is already a thing of the past but I‘m sure that this awesome experience will always stick in my mind.

For me it was absolutely intriguing to see all the work behind the Competition. I was so impressed to see people from all over the world who are so interested in promoting young people and their skills and knowlege. That is so touching to me. I feel so thankfull for the ingenious idea of holding a Youth Forum.  

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WorldSkills Foundation reports on its progress

"WorldSkills Competitions raise quality, promote professional development and drive improvements in vocational training” is the core conclusion in a research report from WorldSkills Foundation. The report was presented at the WorldSkillsGeneral Assembly in Jeju by Dr Helen Smith, RMIT University.

The research study is the first project presented by the WorldSkills Foundation (WSF) which was initiated by WorldSkills International in 2010 and launched together with five Founding Partners in 2011. WSF is in a start-up mode and will prepare and introduce projects in the area of research, advocacy and education. This work will be coordinated by Tommy Hellström, Project Director of WSF, and the Board of Trustees. Creating the WorldSkills Foundation was a strategic decision taken by the General Assembly of WorldSkills International to broaden the WorldSkills movement into areas additional to competitions bringing support and value to Members.

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Why adopt the WorldSkills branding?

The WorldSkills brand is getting increasing recognition around the globe with more and more Members choosing to revise their identities and benefit from being part of the globally recognized WorldSkills movement.

For those of our Members who are considering adopting the WorldSkills brand, please go to www.worldskills.org/brand or contact Michelle Bussey, Communications and Marketing Director at michelle.bussey@worldskills.org to help you with the process and any questions that you may have.

Update on WorldSkills Competitions

Preparations for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013: new website online

By Werner Kipp, Communications Manager,
WorldSkills Leipzig 2013

With only just over a year to go, preparations for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 are speeding up. Our corporate design is completed, based on colorful bars and inspiring images. The claim is modular with the word “discover” at its center.

If you would like to discover more about WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 we have promotional material available that we will gladly share with all WSI Member organizations. If you wish to create your own material in that design, WorldSkills International has the design manual available and can provide you with more details.  

As a central source for information on all aspects of the event, our new website has been launched. Please find out more at www.worldskillsleipzig2013.com! 

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WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 - what hosting the event means for Brazil

Following the unanimous decision by Members of WorldSkills International to vote for the 43rd WorldSkills Competition to be hosted in Brazil, Roberto Spada, involved in WSI since 1989 and Board Member of WorldSkills International gives his reflections about what he thinks bringing the event will do for Brazil.

The Competition will be situated in the heart of industry. Over 65% of major businesses have industrial headquarters in São Paulo and the WorldSkills Competition will provide a fantastic opportunity to sensitize all social agents to support the development of vocational education. 

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Technology Enhancing Sustainability - thanks to Samsung

Moving towards electronic marking at the WorldSkills Competition is an ambition long held by the Technical Committee of WorldSkills International and thanks to Global Industry Partner, Samsung, WorldSkills is one step closer to achieving this goal.

Samsung has provided six GALAXY Tabs to WorldSkills International for use in developing the Competition Information System (CIS) for mobile devices as well as a pilot project to reduce paper required to print marking schemes. Select skill competitions at WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 will benefit from this technology, making it easier and more efficient for Experts to complete their assessment.

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News from Members

A great honour for several people involved in WorldSkills London 2011

In the United Kingdom, every year a list is created that recognizes people for their outstanding service and achievements, called the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. For the first time ever, people have been recognized for their work and efforts for WorldSkills International. These people were all actively involved in the success of WorldSkills London 2011 and legacy that continues to grow in momentum throughout the UK.

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12th National Skills competitions of Iran

By Technical and Vocational Training Organization of Iran

The 12th National Skill competitions of Iran were held in Tehran and Karaj 18-21 February in 26 skill areas. These competitions are usually held in three stages every year, starting at the provincial level then the county level and finally the whole country. Leading up to the 12th competitions, there were 16,388 applications to compete at the province stage from which 3,398 were accepted. At the county stage 491 competitors were chosen and finally these chosen ones participated in the full country final competition. The distinguished excellent ones were awarded 33 Gold medals, 25 Silver medals, 32 Bronze medals and 105 honourable diploma. The highest achieving medalists will be made ready to take part in WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 in Germany, next July.

National Skills Competition in Finland was truly international

New WorldSkills country, Russia, took a study trip to Taitaja2012

By Pauliina Juhola

The Finnish National Skills Competition Taitaja2012 was arranged in the city of Jyväskylä at the end of April. The event was spectacular, once again, with over 40 000 visitors, 400 competitors and 42 trades. Taitaja, the biggest annual event for vocational students, also stimulates great interest abroad. “The Finnish National Skills Competition is an event people want to attend because of its big scale – making it one of the biggest nationals. Many students are here to prepare for the upcoming EuroSkills and WorldSkills Competitions”, reveals Matti Haapanen, Coordinator for International Competition. A really large number of international visitors attended the event in Jyväskylä also to learn more about arranging a national-level skills competition. One of the biggest groups this year came from Russia.

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18th Skills Canada National Competition, 13-16 May 2012

By Skills/Compétences Canada

The 18th Skills Canada National Competition was held at the Edmonton EXPO Centre, in Edmonton, Alberta, 13-16 May. The event was a great success as over 500 Competitors were present for the two-day Competition.  

The two-day Competition featured Competitors from across Canada who competed to win the title of National Champion for their respective trade or technology area. For Competition results, visit: http://skillscompetencescanada.com/en/2012-scnc-results/ .  

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Upcoming WorldSkills events

Do you have events that you want to see here, send them to secretariat@worldskills.org.