It might be the first time that a EuroSkills competition is held in Scandinavia, but the competition is actually the 5th of its kind. Born in the Netherlands and, so far, raised in Lisbon, Spa and Lille – EuroSkills 2016 will be hosted by the beautiful city of Gothenburg.

Over the past few days, Competitors, Team Leaders, Experts and other delegates, have arrived from all over the world. To be more exact, from 28 European Member countries and 7 international guest destinations.

From December 1-3, visitors to the competition will be witnessing 500 young skilled workers from all over Europe, compete for a title in 35 skill areas. The main purpose of the competition being: to raise the interest and status of Vocational education and training (VET).

While on site, the visitors will have a unique chance to be aquainted with various occupations and try the skills, hands on, even finding their own talents as they go along.

The Opening Ceremony – European skills on the main stage

The venue for EuroSkills 2016 Svenska Mässan is centered in the middle of Gothia Towers, accommodating the large amount of international delegations, and Scandinavium – the venue hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremony.

As per tradition the event began with a parade of all Competitors, being cheered on by their fellow countrymen and skills supporters. The whole evening was packed with entertainment showcasing young talents within the ballet and musical production schools of Gothenburg. Excitement but also anticipation for the next coming days, were not be missed as the Competitors engaged in cultural exchanges across nations.

A very proud WorldSkills Europe President, Hubert Romer spoke directly to the Competitors “What we need – today and in the future –  is more than only young specialists. What we need are open minded, multi-skilled talents who are connected with each other – all over Europe. We need strong characters who want to change things and who want to work together for a better future, despite boarders and limits.”

The organising Committee had created a fantastic event, that will be remembered for many years to come.

Good luck to the Competitors and Experts, we are cheering for all of you.

Experience the Opening Ceremony through images: www.flickr.com/photos/euroskills2016 for more information regaring the competition go to www.euroskills2016.se