30 July 2025
WorldSkills community convenes to create Vision 2035
Throughout July, WorldSkills Members and Global Partners have been meeting, in-person, to co-design a strategic roadmap for the next decade.
In its 75th anniversary year, WorldSkills has been running a series of meetings and conversations that will culminate in the development of Vision 2035. The goal is to develop a strategic plan that will position the WorldSkills community to meet future challenges and opportunities with renewed alignment and commitment.
After a series of online Strategic Development Committee Opt-in meetings between February and June, Members and Partners gathered for two face-to-face workshops and plenaries. The first was held on 1–3 July in Vienna, Austria and was hosted by SkillsAustria. The second was held on 23–25 July in Hong Kong, China and was hosted by WorldSkills Hong Kong.
Both meetings allowed the WorldSkills community to put day-to-day operations to one side and create the time and space to share their ambitions, their ideas, and their perspectives. More than ten topics were discussed including brand development, impact measurement, skills competitions of the future, and governance.
Fifty-five unique Members and Global Partners took part in the live meetings, and many more contributed through virtual meetings and one-to-one dialogues. This engagement ensured that the process has been representative of the membership, and everyone has had an opportunity to be heard.
David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International, led the programme with the WorldSkills Board and WorldSkills Secretariat, and he has been encouraged by the contributions.
He said, “WorldSkills is strong because of our Members and Global Partners, which is why we are so thankful to their enthusiasm towards this pivotal piece of work. We are also grateful to WorldSkills Hong Kong and SkillsAustria for their wonderful support in hosting these meetings.”
He reflected, “The decisions we make today lay down the blueprint for tomorrow. As our world becomes increasingly uncertain and as technology advances at speed, we need to look for innovative ways to help young people thrive and economies grow. What is clear from these meetings is that skills are a powerful and unifying force, and that investing in skills development and aspiring for skills excellence is something we all believe in.”
Francis Hourant, President of WorldSkills, chaired the opening plenary sessions and used his welcome to issue a rally cry to the WorldSkills community, asking them to increase their ambition beyond skill competitions, and think how to expand and evolve the WorldSkills movement.
He said, “We must lift up our gaze and think beyond tomorrow or next year. We must look past our geographic borders and we must think bigger than our national strategies. We must think as a global community and we must listen, challenge, innovate, and dream together.”
As the final delegates travel home from Hong Kong, all eyes now turn to WorldSkills General Assembly 2025 Dubrovnik in October where the WorldSkills community will convene.
David concludes, “Our intention is to now crystallize all the insights and ideas from these Strategic Development Committee meetings and develop Vision 2035.”