WorldSkills General Assembly 2025 brings global skills community to Dubrovnik

The global skills community is all set to gather in the iconic city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, for WorldSkills General Assembly 2025.

From 12 to 17 October, the future of the WorldSkills movement will be envisioned through strategic discussions and decision-making. With this year marking WorldSkills’ 75th anniversary, the meetings of the global community will also be an opportunity to celebrate our collective accomplishments over seven decades of elevating skills around the world.

Throughout 2025, WorldSkills Members and Global Partners have collaborated on the development of Vision 2035, our vision for the next ten years. Important questions about the WorldSkills Competition, brand, impact, quality, inclusion, and governance have been considered, to set a roadmap that strengthens WorldSkills’ impact and sustainability.

“At WorldSkills General Assembly 2025, we ask you to keep envisioning our potential for the future. As the global stage for skills, we believe we have a responsibility to tackle challenges such as the rapid rise of AI, skills for climate adaptation, barriers to education, and inequity in the labour market,” said Francis Hourant, President of WorldSkills.

“These shifting needs demand new approaches, and we must address them with ambition, agility, and inclusivity. We must continue to use our influence to show the world why it is essential to invest in young, skilled professionals, so we have the human talent that ensures we all prosper,” he added.

Hosted by WorldSkills Croatia and the Agency of VET and Adult Education, the gathering has strong support from the country’s Ministry of Science, Education and Youth.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is the dominant form of secondary education in Croatia – with enrolment rates of over 70% – and one of the country’s strategic priorities. WorldSkills General Assembly comes at a transformative time for its VET system, with the recent launch of the most extensive VET curricula reform in its history. This academic year, 140 modernized, labour-market-relevant curricula were introduced.

“The reform involved a shift to outcome-based modular curricula, with increased work-based learning and introduction of VET provider curriculum, to encourage their autonomy, innovation, flexibility, and customization of programmes through optional modules”, said Prof. dr. sc. Radovan Fuchs, Minister for Science, Education and Youth, adding, “this reform reflects our strong commitment to equipping young people with the skills needed for a rapidly evolving world of work”.

This year’s General Assembly in Dubrovnik will feature three interlinked events, capturing the full scope of the skills ecosystem.

Members and Global Partners will take part in the General Assembly, Strategic Development, and Competitions Committee meetings, alongside side meetings including new Member and Delegate training, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), marketing and communications, development of WorldSkills Conferences, and OECD PISA-VET.

WorldSkills Croatia Conference 2025, taking place on 14 October, will invite the wider international and national skills community to continue exploring ways to position skills development and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as central drivers of global strategies. A diverse line-up of policymakers, industry representatives, practitioners, and youth will pave the way to WorldSkills Conference 2026 in Shanghai.

A Skills Promotion event will also be taking place, where students from both primary and secondary schools will be offered a first-hand opportunity to experience skills excellence and innovation and hear from the WorldSkills Champions Trust, who will provide a global perspective on how skills have transformed their lives.

Emphasizing the importance of organizing these side events, Director of the Agency of VET and Adult Education Mile Živčić said that, “By bridging policy and practice, and by involving everyone from seasoned experts to aspiring learners, these events reflect our commitment to promoting skills at all levels — from the classroom to the boardroom.”

Learn more about WorldSkills General Assembly 2025 in Dubrovnik.