WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Symposium develops strategy to promote skills development

Aiming to make the next WorldSkills competition “innovative and widely influential”, the symposium brought together experts and participants from Shanghai’s vocational skills colleges and industry to gather ideas for increasing public awareness of the event.

“By fostering learning and construction through competitions, we can maximize the leading role of the WorldSkills Competition in advancing talent development,” said Xiang Guoping, Vice President of Shanghai Kechuang Vocational and Technical College. “We should highlight the exemplary stories from the WorldSkills Competitions to lead the path of skill-based talent cultivation, and incorporate them into schools’ comprehensive ideological education to achieve the goal of nurturing talent.”

Everyone agreed that reaching key groups such as young people would be crucial in promoting the WorldSkills Competition. Sharing inspiring Shanghai stories of skill success locally and internationally will create a positive, exciting, and respectful atmosphere around the event. These efforts will foster the development of a skilled workforce and help to achieve high-quality, full employment.

Jiang Hong, Dean of the School of Hotel Management at Shanghai Business School and head coach of the Chinese team for the WorldSkills Competition in Hotel Reception, suggests, “We should integrate WorldSkills Occupational Standards to develop skill talent cultivation standards, transforming competition standards into teaching standards. We need to convert the details of WorldSkills Competitions into teaching resources, develop textbooks and learning materials, and establish a diverse, open assessment system to promote the widespread application of WorldSkills outcomes in skilled talent development.”

WorldSkills Competitions serve a dual purpose of developing skilled talent and promoting skills careers to younger students. “The WorldSkills Competition plays a vital role in creating an environment that promotes the development of skilled talent,” said Yuan Hairong Director of Technology Research and Development at Siemens (China).

In September 2026, the eyes of the world will be on Shanghai, when the city’s National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) will welcome about 1,300 Competitors from over 60 countries and regions.

Hosting the 48th WorldSkills Competition in China is part of a national strategy to highlight the importance of skills for economic and social prosperity and attract more young people to learn skills.

For more information, visit the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 website.