Global Skills Summit Held in Shanghai: China's Skilled Talent Strategy Draws Attention

On the evening of September 22,2026, the 48th WorldSkills Competition opened at the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Center. Organized by the WorldSkills Federation, this global top-tier vocational skills competition, themed “Skills Change the World; Skills Light Up the Future,” has attracted 1,385 contestants from 68 countries and regions. In the coming days, young skilled professionals from around the world will compete in 64 competition categories across six major domains: manufacturing and engineering technology, structural and architectural technology, information and communication technology, transportation and logistics, creative arts and fashion, and social and personal services.

The Chinese delegation consists of 220 participants, including 71 contestants, 64 experts, 64 interpreters, and staff members, competing in all 64 events. The average age of the contestants is only 21, with the youngest being 18 years old. They hail from 21 provinces across the country, among whom 43 are teachers and students from vocational technical colleges—accounting for approximately 60.6% of the total number of contestants. During the opening ceremony, segments such as the delegation’s entrance, cultural performances, speeches by distinguished guests, a human-machine dance, and stories of growth shared by young skilled talents from the five continents sparked enthusiastic responses from the audience. Starting from September 23, the competitions will officially commence across eight competition venues at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).

This edition of the competition has added seven new competition categories—rail transit vehicle technology, drone systems, smart security technology, software testing, digital interactive media design, dental restoration techniques, and retail—closely aligning with industrial evolution trends and emerging job market demands. Simultaneously, the World Skills Conference and the World Skills Expo have been launched concurrently. Together, these two events transform the competition venue into not only a competitive arena but also a global platform for discussing skills-related policies and exchanging industry achievements. All exhibition and experience activities are freely accessible to the public, with “Skills Showcase” stations available alongside each of the 64 competition categories. The “One Province, One Skill” exhibition segment highlights the unique expertise of highly skilled professionals from China and abroad. This event serves both as a grand gathering in the realm of skills and as an important window to observe China’s skills development and global skills cooperation.

China’s emphasis on skills and talent cultivation has extended from competition results to national strategies and industrial practices. In this edition of the WorldSkills Competition, the Chinese delegation competed in all 64 events, with a participant pool comprising both students and working professionals, covering a wide range of categories such as CNC machining, industrial machinery, cloud computing, floral design, and baking—demonstrating the support of China’s comprehensive industrial system and its substantial reserve of skilled talent. The total number of skilled workers in China has exceeded 220 million, including over 72 million highly skilled workers. From its debut on the WorldSkills Competition stage in 2011 to consistently securing the top spot in both the gold medal tally and the overall team score for four consecutive editions, this leapfrog growth is no accident; it is the result of long-term investment, systematic training, and evolving industrial demands.

China regards skills as the foundation for building a strong nation and the cornerstone of its development, emphasizing the cultivation of skilled talents and serving the country through skills, while encouraging young people to acquire skills and hone their capabilities. Newly added competition categories—such as software testing and digital interactive media design—focus on full-process quality control in software development and the creation of immersive digital content; whereas rail vehicle technology and smart security technology emphasize composite capabilities integrating equipment, digital technologies, and systems. These changes reflect that China’s understanding of skilled talents is evolving from viewing them merely as proficient operators to recognizing them as versatile key personnel capable of mastering intelligent digital tools, possessing cross-domain expertise, and demonstrating innovative thinking. Beyond competition venues, initiatives like the “One Province, One Skill” exhibition, AI and digital game art, and 3D cultural relic printing have brought together traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technologies, creating vibrant scenes for exchange between Chinese and foreign skills.

The scale of skilled talent cultivation in China is underpinned by the country’s sustained strategic planning and institutional safeguards at the systemic level. Through national strategic guidance, coordinated efforts among ministries and commissions, local government implementation, and participation from enterprises and institutions, China has continuously refined its skilled talent cultivation system. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, along with other relevant departments, coordinates vocational skill competitions, technical education, and vocational training programs. Institutional mechanisms—including industry-education integration, university-enterprise cooperation, lifelong vocational skill training, and evaluation and incentive systems for skilled personnel—are interconnected, thereby providing pathways for young people to develop their skills.

The hosting of the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai itself stands as a concentrated demonstration of China’s institutional mobilization capabilities, organizational prowess, and public service capacity. By leveraging eight competition venues, free access for public experience, comprehensive urban support services, and the “One Competition, Two Platforms” framework, Shanghai has transformed this international event into a public platform enabling nationwide participation in skill-based experiences. Furthermore, through initiatives such as “One Province, One Skill,” China has integrated regional specialty skills, traditional crafts, and modern digital skills into its exhibition system, thereby establishing a multi-level participation framework that spans from the national to local levels, and from academic institutions to enterprises.

In terms of aligning with international rules, China actively participates in the affairs of the WorldSkills Organization, leveraging the WorldSkills platform to promote global exchange and mutual learning among young skilled professionals. It can be said that the progress of China’s skilled workforce initiative stems not only from policy consistency and resource integration capabilities, but also from the practice of integrating international standards with domestic industrial needs. This institutional advantage enables China to not only cultivate a large number of skilled professionals, but also provide valuable experience for global skills governance and industrial transformation.