Worldskills Kazan 2019 29 August - 3 September

HISTORY
It was 1946 and there was a great need for skilled workers in Spain. Mr José Antonio Elola Olaso, who was General Director of OJE (Spanish Youth Organization), had an insight: it was necessary to convince youth, as well as their parents, teachers and prospective employers, that their future depended on an effective vocational training system.
Right from the start, State agencies, enterprises and religious vocational training schools were interested in the idea.
This simple yet brilliant idea of watching people from different trades at their workstations proved to be a great success. So, in 1947, with the participation of around 4,000 apprentices from a dozen mechanical trades, the first National Competition took place in Spain.

EUROPE GETS IN
A great number of observers from various countries were invited to the Iberian Competition and were completely seduced by the idea. As a result, in 1953, at Spain's invitation, youth from Germany, Great Britain, France, Morocco and Switzerland took part in it for the first time.
In June 1954, the first Organising Council - composed by official and technical representatives of the participating countries - was established to set the rules for international competitions.

THE IDEA PROVES TO BE SUCCESSFUL
As the country that held IVTC for the first time, Spain is considered the founder of the international organization. So far eleven Competitions have been held in Spain. From the beginning Francisco Albert-Vidal headed the General Secretariat and up to 1976 Spain took charge of all expenses, thereby offering various countries the chance of taking part.
The idea to celebrate Vocational Training Competitions can be rightfully compared to Pierre de Coubertin´s initiative to create the modern Olympic Games. Also its motto "great ideas come from the heart" can be applied to the founders of our international organization.

Nowadays, if you visit a WorldSkills Competition, you will be pleased to see the young skilled workers' know-how and seriousness, their pride on having been selected and the pleasure they feel to meet their counterparts from other continents. In spite of language barriers, the experience they gain will certainly affect the professional, personal and human aspects of their lives forever.
The Competitions were not only designed for ranking Member countries/regions and awarding medals. In fact, they give a new impulse to their vocational training systems.

WORLDSKILLS VISION AND MISSION
Vision
Improving our world with the power of skills.
Mission
To raise the profile and recognition of skilled people, and show how important skills are in achieving economic growth and personal success.
Position
The global hub for skills excellence and development.

WORLDSKILLS KAZAN 2019
WorldSkills competition in Kazan will bring together participants from more than 70 countries who will compete in over 50 skills.
The 45th WorldSkills Competition will take place in Kazan at the KAZAN EXPO International Exhibition Centre. The site is currently under construction, with plans for completion in 2018. The exhibition centre is on a plot of 74,8 hectares near the Kazan International Airport.

The KAZAN EXPO International Exhibition Centre features a competition zone, exhibition space, gallery, congress halls, multi-purpose halls, VIP zone, lounge zone, and a restaurant. Open areas and a hotel featuring 200 rooms will also be developed at the complex.
The exhibition centre’s proximity to the Kazan International Airport and Competitor Village, where the Competitors and Experts will stay provides easy arrival, departure, and transportation to the Competition.

Competitors will demonstrate the level of their vocational education and training. Skills are grouped into six sectors presented below. There will be competitions in more than 50 skills at WorldSkills Kazan 2019:
Construction and Building Technology
Creative Arts andFashion
Information and Communication Technology
Manufacturing and Engineer Technology
Social and Personal Services
Transportation and Logisticss