13 November 2025
WorldSkills Americas Santiago 2025 celebrates skills excellence across the continent
The largest technical and vocational skills competition in Latin America and the Caribbean brought together 13 countries to showcase talent and demonstrate the power of skills.
WorldSkills Americas 2025 concluded in Santiago de Chile on 8 November, following six days of intense competition. The largest international competition for technical and vocational students in the region convened delegations from 13 different countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. China, Croatia, and France sent observer delegations.
Held across 10 venues in the cities of Santiago, San Felipe, and San Fernando, the Competition tested the skills of young people aged 15 to 24 against international standards. Competitors from across the region competed in 19 skills in the categories of Construction and Building Technologies, Information and Communication Technologies, Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Service Industry, and Transport and Logistics.
A joyful Closing Ceremony at CentroParque in Chile’s capital brought all the Competitors together to celebrate the achievements of all Champions and award the top performers.
Nicolás Escobar from Colombia received the Albert Vidal Award, presented to Competitor who achieves the highest number of points across all skill competitions. Nicolás, who competed in Cooking, said that despite all the “hope, enthusiasm, and preparation” receiving the award came as a surprise. He added, “Perseverance is what helped me get here – the dedication, getting up every day, and the will to keep going.”
An all-women team not only competed for the first time but took first place in the skill of Technical Irrigation, which has been historically male-dominated. The winners, Macarena Aravena and Francisca Valenzuela from Chile, said they were motivated by their passion for the skill and their confidence that they could succeed. “The skill requires working with large, heavy equipment such as sand filters,” they explained, “but we knew we could.”
During the Closing Ceremony, WorldSkills Americas recognized Roberto Spada, Director of External Relations at SENAI São Paulo in Brazil and former Vice President for Special Affairs at WorldSkills International, for his dedication to the movement and his leading role in establishing WorldSkills Chile. In his speech, Mr Spada urged young people to take the lead in promoting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
The baton was then passed to Costa Rica, host of the next WorldSkills Americas Competition in 2027. Costa Rica pledged to continue the process of relaunching WorldSkills Americas that Chile began, and to unite all Member countries of the regional organization under the shared goal of excellence and the development of human and technical talent.
Talking about the impact of WorldSkills Competition, Director of WorldSkills Chile and Board Member of WorldSkills International Alejandro Weinstein highlighted their importance beyond assessing and benchmarking TVET systems.
“For Competitors, an international competition is by far the best training course there is. Teachers and trainers also undergo a learning process that is then transferred to their schools or institutions, and to the national level. It helps trainers create a global network with others in their skill, encouraging enhancement through exchanges and improving the quality of national systems,” said Mr Weinstein.
Two events took place alongside WorldSkills Americas 2025. Chile celebrated the ninth edition of its National Competition, as well as the tenth anniversary of WorldSkills Chile. Ninety young people from across the country competed in 15 skills, revealing the next generation of Competitors who will represent Chile at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 and the next regional Competition.
From 6 to 7 November, the INACAP Renca campus in Santiago hosted the conference ‘Re-evolution of Technical Education and Training (TVET): Technology of the future, today in the Americas’. The event brought together leaders from the Americas and Europe to discuss educational trends, new industry demands, and public policies shaping TVET in a constantly changing environment.
At the Opening Ceremony, President of WorldSkills International Francis Hourant noted, “We know that WorldSkills Americas is more than a competition. It is the platform that can unite the Americas as one powerful and influential skills community. A regional voice connected to a truly global movement. A network that accelerates quality and excellence. A bridge that ensures every country benefits from innovation, knowledge-sharing, and global opportunities. Through WorldSkills Americas, we can speak louder, move faster, and achieve more together than alone.”