27 September 2026
A vision beyond Shanghai
The countdown is over. The tools have been set down. WorldSkills Competitors have tested their skills over four intense days. They have inspired every visitor who watched them work and every student who is starting to think about their future profession.
A WorldSkills Competition is a life-changing experience. It leaves a lasting impression on anyone who takes part, not just Competitors but Experts, Members, Partners, and supporters too.
But what about those who are not able to attend the Competition in person? How can WorldSkills help more young people aspire to skills excellence and use their talents to improve their own lives, as well as their communities and industries?
That is what Vision 2035 sets out to do. Approved at WorldSkills General Assembly 2026 in Shanghai, it is a strategic plan for the next decade to ensure skills are valued as the building blocks of sustainable human development.
At its heart are three goals.
Transforming how the world values skills is the first. It asks the WorldSkills movement to reshape how societies perceive skilled careers, and to make sure everyone, everywhere understands that a skilled profession is an aspirational, future-defining choice, not a second option.
The second goal is to accelerate global skills development and excellence through innovation. This encourages the WorldSkills community to be responsive and open to new ideas. Innovation, including AI and other digital technologies, when used in the right way can unlock human potential, increase access to skills, and bring education closer to the needs of industry.
The third goal is about the WorldSkills membership itself, and the desire to create a strong, resilient, and mobilized community equipped with the resources, networks, and frameworks to deliver economic and social impact.
To deliver on these goals, Vision 2035 promises to champion skill competitions at every level, so that the excellence on show in Shanghai this week can cascade through national skills strategies, into the curricula of TVET institutions, and out through skills events around the world.
To help do this, WorldSkills commits to giving leaders, educators, employers, and families the tools and messages they need to help young people consider a skills pathway. WorldSkills will also make sure the voice of youth is always heard in the policy discussions and industry conversations that shape its future.
Competitors and Experts who stepped onto the global stage for skills this week also have a role to play after they return home. Vision 2035 sees them as role models and ambassadors of excellence. The stories from this week must be shared more widely to change how millions of young people, parents, and teachers think about skilled work.
With Vision 2035 now approved, WorldSkills has a mandate to activate it across its ecosystem and broaden the reach and impact of its work. Heng Guan Teck, WorldSkills Board member – Strategic Development, is motivated about the ambition within the plan.
He says, “What excites me is that over the next ten years we are really going to move beyond competition. We want to position ourselves as a global leader not only in skills excellence, which comes through competition, but also in skills development.”
Tonight, WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 draws to a close and the WorldSkills flag will be handed to Japan. But the true impact is what happens after the final medal is awarded. Equipped with Vision 2035, the WorldSkills community now has a blueprint for change.
David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International, urges everyone to have confidence in Vision 2035 and unite around it, saying, “Beyond WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, our community will continue to face new challenges and opportunities. Never before have we needed to be more focused and more aligned. On behalf of all young skilled people across the world, we must now move forward with clarity and purpose. WorldSkills Vision 2035 gives us the direction we need and the roadmap to follow.”