One month to go until EuroSkills Gdansk 2023

City of Gdańsk readies for the 8th edition of the European Championship of Young Professionals

In the summer months, people often worry about the holiday season passing by too quickly. This year, however, things are different, as we look excitedly ahead towards September, when Europe’s biggest skills event will arrive in Gdańsk, Poland for the very first time.

In just one month, from 5-9 September 2023, tens of thousands of people from 32 countries across Europe will gather in Gdańsk. It will be a meeting place of a wide variety of industries, education institutions, government representatives, and communities, all with the shared belief that #UnitedBySkills we can change the world. 

Many months of preparation and intense training, as well as a commitment to excellence in skills, is the luggage that over 600 young professionals will be bringing with them to Gdańsk, ready to showcase their talents for a chance to earn the title of Best in Europe in their chosen fields of expertise.

An international showcase of vocational education and skills excellence

Organised by WorldSkills Europe together with 32 Member Countries, the biennial EuroSkills Competition, brings together hundreds of talented young people under the age of 25 to display their expertise in more than 40 different professional skills. EuroSkills Competitors represent the best of their peers, having been selected after taking part in national competitions in their respective countries.

From 5-9 September, Gdańsk will become a city of stories, welcoming not only 600 young professionals, but also around 500 experts from industry and education, as well as political leaders and influencers, who will meet to discuss important issues and exchange new ideas related to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills in Europe.

Thousands of vocational and technical education students who visit will also get to see the important role they can play in the skills ecosystem and understand how the future belongs to them.

One event, many attractions

AmberExpo Exhibition and Congress Centre and the Polsat Plus Arena will be the most important points on the map of Gdańsk. The two adjoining locations will be linked with a series of magnificent tent structures to create a ‘city of skills’.

Get ready to spend three action-packed days witnessing the young people hard at work, who will demonstrate their professional skills, vying to earn a place on the medal podium. Cheer on your national team and make sure to visit the Try-a-Skill and Sponsor and Partner exhibition zones. The entire space of the event covers more than 50,000 m2.

“The WorldSkills competition, through its innovative, attractive formula, inspires young people to develop their talents, improve their skills and at some point be able to compete for the title of the best in their specialty with their peers from Europe or the world. I would like to invite everyone to Gdańsk to observe live the tenacity of the most talented European youth and cheer on the teams.” - says PhD, DSc Paweł Poszytek, General Director of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System – National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme and European Solidarity Corps

Teija Ripattila, Chair of the Board, WorldSkills Europe, said: “EuroSkills Competitions are driven by the energy, talent, and enthusiasm of the young people who are at the heart of our mission. The Competitions inspire young people to develop a passion for skills and encourage young professionals to pursue word-class standards of excellence, which will help raise their profile, abilities, and long-term career prospects.”

“Hosting an international event of the scale of EuroSkills is only possible thanks to high-level commitment and support. WorldSkills Europe is therefore incredibly thankful not only to WorldSkills Poland and FRSE, but also to all Sponsors and Partners, and project partners from government, industry, and education that are supporting EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023,” added Ripattila.

Innovation, business and education

EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023 will be an opportunity to experience sports-like excitement, emotion, and healthy competition. However, in addition to this, there is also an informative educational and business dimension to the event.

Representatives from many companies, a large number of which support the Competition by providing equipment, tools, and industry-specific expertise will join the event. Through such close collaboration between education and business, EuroSkills aims to close the European skills gap, by creating opportunities for young people entering the workforce at to help companies access a highly-skilled pool of potential employees.

This edition of EuroSkills is even more significant as it is taking place during the European Year of Skills 2023, the EU initiative which is putting skills centre-stage by bringing organisations and people together to share insights and to showcase skills development activities and opportunities across Europe.

EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023 is therefore also bringing together leaders from industry, education, and governments to share best practices and learn about global trends and issues found in TVET, skills demand, skills of the future, innovative economics, climate education, digital transformation, democratic participation and inclusion and diversity. These themes will be discussed during the 6th International Congress on Education and Training, which will take place on 7 September as part of EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023.

The Congress has the motto "Skills are the Future" and aims to highlight the synergy between the Erasmus+ programme and the WorldSkills occupational standards. To apply to attend the Congress, visit: https://kongres.frse.org.pl/vi-kongres-frse-english.

Olympic-style Opening and Closing Ceremonies to celebrate young skilled professionals

EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023 will kick-off with an Opening Ceremony at the Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk on Tuesday, 5 September, followed by three days of competitions at the adjacent Amber Expo Exhibition and Congress Centre. The event will then conclude with a dazzling Closing Ceremony back at the Polsat Plus Arena on 9 September, where awards including Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are presented to the highest scoring Competitors.

The most coveted accolade at EuroSkills is the Jos de Goey Best in Europe Award which is presented to the Competitor (or group of Competitors) who achieves the highest overall score out of all the hundreds of Competitors across all 40+ skill competitions.

Get ready for a spectacular show with charismatic presenters, demonstrations and musical performances. Admission to both ceremonies is open to the public by pre-registering on the website: https://euroskills2023.org/register-now.

For more information about EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023, visit euroskills2023.org.