29 October 2026

BeChangeMaker begins a new chapter with YMCA Europe

After a decade supporting young social entrepreneurs, WorldSkills hands the stewardship of BeChangeMaker to YMCA Europe.

For the last 10 years, WorldSkills has championed young skilled people through its annual entrepreneurship competition, BeChangeMaker. At WorldSkills Conference 2026 in Shanghai, WorldSkills officially handed the programme to YMCA Europe, which has committed to building on its strong foundations.

Since its launch in 2017, BeChangeMaker has provided more than 300 young professionals with coaching, mentoring, and support to turn their business ideas into solutions to social and environmental challenges. As the programme has grown, thousands more have used tools and guidance from the programme, its partners, and the community.

Developed by WorldSkills and the HP Foundation, BeChangeMaker has been supported by UNESCO-UNEVOC, PEN WorldWide, UNIDO, World YMCA, and the Yunus Environment Hub. Its reach has grown year on year and, in 2026, it received 700 applications from 77 countries and regions.

Now the programme will pass into the stewardship of YMCA Europe, part of the world’s oldest and largest youth organization. Serving 37 national YMCAs and more than 3,200 local YMCAs across the continent, YMCA Europe is dedicated to empowering youth and helping them become active and responsible global citizens.

Jessica Woitalla, Project Manager at YMCA Europe, was on the judging panel for the final of BeChangeMaker 2026 in Shanghai and represented the organization at the official handover. In her speech, she outlined YMCA Europe’s desire to build on the programme’s impressive reputation.

She described how YMCA Europe would maintain the global competition and mentoring that sits at the heart of BeChangeMaker, while looking for new ways to help young people start their entrepreneurial journey, whether in a YMCA centre, a school, or their own neighbourhood. Ms Woitalla also said they would develop plans to help past participants stay connected through an alumni network.

Ms Woitalla emphasized the importance of partnerships, saying, “We see the future of BeChangeMaker as a collaborative, global ecosystem, where each of us will contribute what we do best. Some will open doors to young people in their communities, some will build skills and learning, some will provide mentors and expertise, some will offer technologies, network opportunities, and resources, and some will help promising ideas travel from one community to another.”

David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International, is grateful to the HP Foundation and all the partners for their support to date, and is excited to see how YMCA Europe will grow the programme’s incredible legacy. He says, “For 10 years, BeChangeMaker has shown what young people can achieve when they are given the skills and confidence to solve the challenges they see around them. After a decade of growth, it is now the right time to entrust BeChangeMaker to YMCA Europe, whose reach will carry the programme further, to more young people in more places.”