Every year on 15 July, World Youth Skills Day celebrates the importance of equipping young people with the skills they need for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. 

In 2026, World Youth Skills Day will focus on a critical question: What will it take to equip every young person with the competencies they need to thrive in a shared future?

The world of work is changing rapidly. Artificial intelligence, the green transition, and growing social complexity are transforming how we learn, work, and participate in society. To thrive in this changing landscape, young people need more than technical skills alone. They need a balanced set of competencies that combines technical, digital, AI, green, social-emotional, and civic skills with the human qualities that technology cannot replace. TVET stands at the centre of workforce readiness, economic competitiveness, and peace, cohesion and sustainable development.

This webinar, hosted by UNESCO-UNEVOC in Bonn, will bring together government representatives, educators, employers, youth networks, development partners and young people from around the world.

Learn more and register at unevoc.unesco.org/en/wysd-2026-skills-shared-future.

The 48th WorldSkills Competition will be held in Shanghai, China, from 22 to 27 September 2026 in the world’s largest event centre, National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) Shanghai. The event will feature 1,400 Competitors from 70 countries and regions, 64 skill competitions, WorldSkills Expo, and WorldSkills Conference 2026.

For more information, visit worldskills2026.com

The EfVET Conference brings together 500+ TVET stakeholders from Europe and beyond. It is a pivotal network event for TVET professionals, EU institutions, education experts, industry leaders, policymakers and researchers to engage in dynamic activities, fostering collaboration and advocacy in TVET.

The theme for 2026 is Global Citizenship Empowered by VET.

In a fast-changing world shaped by technological acceleration, geopolitical uncertainty and growing interdependence, the 2026 theme highlights the role of Vocational Education and Training in equipping learners not only with professional competences, but also with the values, agency and resilience needed to act as active global citizens.

Placing global citizenship at the centre of the Conference reflects EfVET’s view that VET extends beyond employability. Embedded in curricula, pedagogy and work-based learning, it prepares learners to engage responsibly in diverse communities, respond to global megatrends and technological change, and contribute to more stable and cohesive societies.

For more information, visit efvet.org.

The 9th National Skills Competition 2026 brings together young skilled professionals from across Cyprus, providing them with the platform to showcase their talents and skills, and win a place in the National Team that will represent Cyprus at EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027.

Be part of this celebration of skills! Get inspired, showcase your talents and develop your skills!

Learn more about the Competition here: https://skillscyprus.gov.cy

Wex Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium 

Startech’s Days is the flagship event dedicated to promoting technical, technological, and scientific skills. 

In one single place and over three days, you will find:
• 100 hands-on skills discovery activities
• 31 National Skills Championship finals
• One guidance area
• One conference programme

Free entry

For more information, visit: www.worldskills.be

Poland's biggest industry event for young talents is coming soon to Miasto Poznań.

From 26-27 November 2026 the city of Poznań will become a meeting place of education, business and modern technologies. The Poznań International Fair will host the finals of SkillsPoland 2026 –  Poland's largest industry skills competition, organised by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System as part of the international WorldSkills movement.

The fair will feature 20 professional competition zones reflecting the working conditions in specific industries. Participants will complete tasks developed in collaboration with experts and company representatives, in line with the requirements of the modern labor market. 

Visitors can expect:

• Try-a-Skill zones - a space to test your skills and get to know different professions in practice on your own,
• Display areas and technology presentations,
• Conferences and debates devoted to the future of industrial education, competence development and cooperation of education with business,
• Meetings with experts, industry partners and representatives of the educational environment.

This event is for students, teachers, experts, employers and anyone who wants to see what modern vocational education looks like and what competencies will shape the future of the labor market.

The winners of the national final of SkillsPoland 2026 will represent Poland at EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027, which takes place from 22-26 September 2027.   

SkillsPoland 2026 is sponsored by Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej.

The project "Promoting vocational education through national and international EuroSkills and WorldSkills" is implemented with the support of the European Union from the European Funds for Social Development Plus.

For more information, visit worldskillspoland.org.pl

SloveniaSkills is Slovenia’s national vocational skills competition. The 2027 edition of the event will include 16 skill competitions: Floristry, Hairdressing, Cooking, Restaurant Service, Visual Merchandising, Painting and Decorating, Stonemasonry, Cabinetmaking, Joinery, CNC Milling, Mechatronics, Robot Systems Integration, Web Development, ICT Specialists, Automobile Technology, and Health and Social Care.

Scheduled for 8-9 January 2027, the Competition will take place alongside the Informativa Education and Careers Fair, which attracts approximately 30,000 visitors, including primary and secondary school students, teachers, parents, and representatives of education and industry.

The event programme will also include skill demonstrations, presentations of vocational careers and accompanying promotional activities.

For more information, visit worldskills.si 

Competition Preparation Meeting (CPM) is a pivotal event in the lead up to a EuroSkills Competition. It is when delegates from all WorldSkills Europe Member Countries gather together with Sponsors, Partners, advisers, and the Competition Organising Team to review and finalise plans for the technical and practical aspects of staging the Competition.

The series of meetings at CPM include detailed organising meetings and workshops for each of the skill competitions, finalisation of the Infrastructure List (IL), layout of the workshops, and health, safety, and environment requirements.

EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027 is the tenth edition of the biennial EuroSkills Competition – the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in Europe.

EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027 is scheduled to take place from 22-26 September 2027 at Messe Düsseldorf. The event will welcome around 850 skilled young professionals under the age of 25 from 36 countries to participate in 50 different skill competitions and demonstrations. 150,000 visitors from across Germany and abroad are expected to attend. 

EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027 marks the first time that two countries – Germany and Luxembourg – are jointly hosting a EuroSkills Competition. Under the motto ‘Skills! Shape Your Future’, Germany and Luxembourg want to motivate young people to shape their professional future and discover the diversity of professions – both in Düsseldorf and in the run-up to EuroSkills through cross-border activities. 

For more information, visit: euroskills2027.com. 

Two competitions under one roof: the Finnish national skills competition (Taitaja) and the international skills competition Abilympics (for professionals with special needs or disabilities). Together, they form Skills Games - a major event featuring up to 80 skills.

Skills Games highlights the potential of vocational professionals requiring special support and provides young people with a broad view of the diverse opportunities in vocational education.

Skills Games is organised by Skills Finland and Omnia, the Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo region, together with 20 vocational institutes in Finland. The event is free of charge and open for public.

Visit skillsfinland.fi.

SwissSkills 2027, the fifth Swiss National Skills Championships, will take place at BERNEXPO in Bern from 14-18 September 2027. For five days, SwissSkills will celebrate the diversity and excellence of Swiss vocational training, with over 1,000 young professionals showcasing their skills. Featuring 150 trades and 95 skill competitions, the event will bring together Switzerland's best apprentices and recent graduates to compete for the title of Swiss Champion. The top performers will qualify for the Swiss National Team that will compete on the global stage at WorldSkills Aichi 2028.

Find out more at swiss-skills2027.ch.

EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027 is the tenth edition of the biennial EuroSkills Competition – the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in Europe.

EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027 is scheduled to take place from 22-26 September 2027 at Messe Düsseldorf. The event will welcome around 850 skilled young professionals under the age of 25 from 36 countries to participate in 50 different skill competitions and demonstrations. 150,000 visitors from across Germany and abroad are expected to attend. 

EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027 marks the first time that two countries – Germany and Luxembourg – are jointly hosting a EuroSkills Competition. Under the motto ‘Skills! Shape Your Future’, Germany and Luxembourg want to motivate young people to shape their professional future and discover the diversity of professions – both in Düsseldorf and in the run-up to EuroSkills through cross-border activities. 

For more information, visit: euroskills2027.com.