dexinwin SHANGHAI, September 25, 2026— The world's attention is turning to Shanghai this week as young skilled professionals from around the globe compete at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, demonstrating how technical expertise, innovation and vocational skills are shaping the future of work.
Held from September 22 to 27, the 48th WorldSkills Competition has brought together 1,385 young competitors from 68 countries and regions. They are competing across 64 skill areas, ranging from traditional trades such as carpentry and bricklaying to emerging fields including artificial intelligence, software testing, drone systems and digital interactive media.
Under the theme of“Skills Change the World, Skills Illuminate the Future,”the competition is highlighting a central question for the modern economy: as artificial intelligence and automation transform workplaces, what skills will people need to build a better future?
Young Talent From Around the World
WorldSkills is held every two years and is widely regarded as one of the world's largest international competitions for vocational skills.
This year's event has attracted participation from 80 registered countries and regions, with 68 sending competitors to Shanghai. The 1,385 contestants represent the largest participation in the history of the competition.
China has sent a delegation of 220 people, including 71 competitors and 64 experts. Chinese contestants are participating in all 64 competition categories. Their average age is approximately 21, with participants coming from 21 provinces across the country.
For many of the competitors, the competition represents the culmination of years of training.
Behind a performance lasting only a few hours may be years of repeated practice, technical study and preparation. A single mistake can affect the final result, while precision, creativity and the ability to solve unexpected problems can make the difference between competitors.
From Traditional Trades to Future Technologies
The evolution of WorldSkills reflects changes in the global economy.
The 64 competition areas at the Shanghai event cover six major fields, including construction and building technology, manufacturing and engineering technology, information and communication technology, transportation and logistics, creative arts and fashion, and social and personal services.
Seven new disciplines have been introduced this year, including drone systems, smart security technology, digital interactive media design, dental prosthetic technology, railway vehicle technology, retail and software testing.
The new categories demonstrate how quickly the definition of “skills” is changing.
Drones are increasingly used in logistics, surveying, agriculture and emergency response. Smart security combines sensors, digital systems and artificial intelligence. Software testing has become an essential part of modern product development, while digital interactive media connects technology with entertainment and creative industries.
The modern skilled worker therefore needs more than manual ability. Digital literacy, technical knowledge, problem-solving and the ability to work with advanced equipment are becoming increasingly important.
Skills in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is transforming industries around the world.
Machines can analyze large amounts of information, generate software code, recognize images and assist with manufacturing and design. Yet the WorldSkills competition demonstrates that technological progress does not necessarily eliminate the need for skilled people.
Instead, it changes the skills that workers need.
Competitors must understand technology, operate sophisticated equipment and make decisions in situations where automated systems cannot always provide the complete answer.
This is particularly evident in areas involving direct human interaction.
The health and social care category, for example, requires competitors to combine professional procedures with communication, judgment and an understanding of individual needs.
AI can provide assistance, but human care, responsibility and communication remain central to the work.
Chinese state media has noted that WorldSkills has expanded from six categories when the competition was first established in 1950 to 64 today, reflecting changing economic and social needs. Health and social care is one example of a skill area that emerged in response to changing demographics and social demands.
Skills Can Change a Young Person's Life
For competitors, WorldSkills is about more than medals.
Mastering a professional skill can provide young people with a pathway into the modern economy.
A young person trained in welding may enter advanced manufacturing. Another may specialize in computer numerical control machining, robotics, automobile technology, culinary arts or digital services.
As manufacturing becomes more sophisticated and digital industries expand, highly skilled workers are becoming increasingly important to businesses and industrial supply chains.
A production line may depend on advanced automation, but people are still needed to install, maintain, calibrate and improve the equipment.
A new technology may exist in theory, but skilled workers are needed to turn it into a functioning product.
In this sense, WorldSkills is not simply testing how quickly competitors can complete a task. It is demonstrating how knowledge becomes practical capability.
Shanghai Becomes a Global Skills Hub
Shanghai is serving as an international meeting point for vocational education, industry and skills development during the competition.
Competitions are being held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai from September 23 to 26, while the opening and closing ceremonies are taking place at the Shanghai World Expo Culture Center.
The WorldSkills Conference and WorldSkills Expo are also being held alongside the competition, creating a broader platform for discussion and exchange.
Competitors, experts, educators and industry representatives from different countries are sharing experience on skills standards, vocational education and emerging industry requirements.
WorldSkills President François Ouzilleau has highlighted China's investment in technical and vocational education and training and noted that the performance of Chinese competitors, particularly those from Shanghai, was among the factors supporting the decision to host the competition in the city.
Skills Connect People and Countries
The significance of WorldSkills extends beyond the competition itself.
By bringing young professionals together, the event allows countries to compare vocational standards, exchange training methods and identify emerging skill requirements.
It also creates opportunities for young people from different cultural and educational backgrounds to communicate and build professional relationships.
WorldSkills'Vision 2035places skills development within a broader framework of sustainable human development, economic growth and social resilience, emphasizing the role of skilled people in global progress.
That perspective reflects an increasingly important reality: skills are not simply an issue for individual workers or specific industries. They are part of the foundation of modern economies.
Skills for a Better Future
The world is entering a period of rapid transformation driven by artificial intelligence, automation, new energy technologies, advanced manufacturing and digital industries.
No one can predict exactly what every future job will look like.
But WorldSkills offers one clear message: regardless of how technology changes, people who can solve problems, create value and apply knowledge in the real world will remain essential.
A piece of wood, a machine tool, a line of code, a drone or an intelligent manufacturing system may look very different, but each ultimately depends on people who know how to use technology effectively.
From Shanghai, young competitors are demonstrating that vocational skills are not an outdated concept. They are becoming a bridge connecting education, employment, industry and the future.
Skills change the world. Skills illuminate the future.
For young people, mastering a skill can mean a first job, a professional career or an opportunity to change the course of their lives.
For society as a whole, investing in skilled people means building a workforce better prepared for technological change.
And for the world, the message from Shanghai is straightforward: a better future will not be built by technology alone. It will also be built by the people who have the knowledge, skills and determination to put that technology to work.
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