Shanghai to host WorldSkills 2026 competition
Shanghai Vice Mayor Peng Chenlei starts an installation to embark on a new mission of organizing a WorldSkills Competition.
Shanghai won the bid to host the WorldSkills Competition 2026, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on Tuesday.
At the WorldSkills General Assembly on Monday, members voted in favor of Shanghai to host the competition after Chinese representatives expressed a willingness to continue strengthening exchanges and cooperation with members of WorldSkills and help workers advance their skills, the ministry said.
The WorldSkills Competition, the world's top-level vocational skills event, is held every two years.
China joined WorldSkills International in 2010 and has harvested 36 gold medals, 29 silk, 20 bronze and 58 medallions for excellence in the competition.
The 46th WorldSkills Competition was initially scheduled to take place in Shanghai in September 2021 and was postponed to October this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In May, based on the latest global pandemic situation, the competition was cancelled. As an alternative to the 46th WorldSkills Competition, special events are being held in 15 countries this year.
"It's a decision for the sake of the health of all participants, including competitors and experts," said Zhang Lan, vice director of the Shanghai Human Resources and Social Security Bureau and executive deputy director of the WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 Executive Bureau.
Zhang said Shanghai has shared all its competition preparation plans with organizers of the special events to help them manage the events efficiently and will provide all the winners' medals, which will bear the Chinese character "ji," or skill, and patterns of Shanghai's landmark buildings, such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
He said Shanghai will also send competitors to take part in the special events and carry out skills exchanges with other countries and regions.
"We will carry on the banner from Lyon, France after it hosts the WorldSkills Competition 2024, exchange experiences in competition organizing and keep close communication with WorldSkills International about preparations for the 48th competition," said Zhang. "We will take part in international and regional skills exchange events and select and train our competitors for the WorldSkills Competition."
He said the conversion of the Yong'an Warefare into the WorldSkills Museum is well underway, with structural construction work and most interior decorating to be completed by the end of the month.
"We will start work on exhibit presentations and plan to put it into trial operation in the first half of next year," Zhang said. "By then, visitors will be able to enjoy the charm of skills in it."
