For Shawna Bourke, Director of Marketing and Communications at WorldSkills International, every visit to Shanghai offers fresh experiences. In a recent interview series, she reflected on youth, skills, and the upcoming WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

What tangible impact have you observed World Youth Skills Day having globally?

World Youth Skills Day was established to highlight the importance of equipping young people with skills and encouraging them to pursue careers in skilled professions. We have seen it give countries the opportunity to host events worldwide. For example, we have held grand celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and in Paris, giving young people the chance to engage with policymakers and discuss what more can be done at the policy level to ensure that education focuses on skills development.

From a broader perspective, how do skills enhance a society’s economic resilience and innovative capacity?

We know that skills play a vital role at the individual, community, and national levels. Without giving individuals the opportunity to acquire skills, a country as a whole cannot succeed. In every country we visit, we see that when young people have more access to education and skills development, these countries develop both economically and socially. They become more advanced, offering a wider range of opportunities for everyone at all levels to thrive.

Shanghai will host the next WorldSkills Competition in 2026. What key progress has been made in the preparation so far?

The WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Executive Bureau is an exceptional group of aspirational thinkers who want this event to have a long legacy in the advancement of skills development across China. Over the years, they have worked not only to organize the competition itself but also to create a strong skills legacy. We have already witnessed a spectacular series of developments at the National Exhibition and Convention Center, the main venue for the event, with substantial planning and resources invested. The progress made in constructing and planning the venue has been extraordinary.

This will absolutely be the biggest WorldSkills Competition in history. Hosting the event in an international metropolis like Shanghai is a tremendous privilege. We know the people of Shanghai will extend their warm hospitality and welcome to the WorldSkills family. We are confident that the audience experience and everything they see during the competition will be unparalleled, inspiring participants from around the world to consider how they can elevate skills competitions in their own nations.

Have you experienced a pivotal moment when skills opened an unexpected door for you?

My father is an electrician, which is also one of the key skills represented at WorldSkills. He is the smartest person I know, able to fix anything and make it work as good as new. Whether at home or elsewhere, he is always the person everyone calls when something needed repair. Therefore, when I was given the opportunity to honor him through my work, I felt immense pride. I am also dedicated to creating opportunities for young people to recognize that they, too, should take pride in the skills they have mastered.