The first WorldSkills Competition was developed in Spain in 1950, as a way to convince young people, parents, teachers and prospective employers that their future depended on an effective vocational training system. The simple, but brilliant idea of watching skilled people at their workstations proved to be a great success and WorldSkills has come to symbolise excellence in skills development and delivery.

Today, being selected to compete in a WorldSkills Competition is a source of great pride and honour. In spite of language barriers, the experience has a lasting personal and professional impact on all of the participants. The competitions not only rank Member nations and award medals, but also aim to enhance and promote vocational training systems worldwide.

Learn more about the history of WorldSkills here