With the 48th WorldSkills Competition just 50 days away, Shanghai is once again setting off a nationwide skills craze. On 3 August, the themed event “50 Days to the WorldSkills Competition: Everyone Unlocks a New Skill” was held at Shanghai Yuexing Global Harbor.

This event adopts “Voice of Skills, Unlocking New Skills Across the City” as its creative theme and uses “Everyone Unlocks a New Skill” as its promotional slogan. In coordination with the Open Government Month in August, it works with 16 district-level high-quality vocational skills training institutions and vocational colleges across the city to build a framework of “1 main venue + 16 sub-venues + numerous special skill challenges.” Through a series of activities held in commercial districts, industrial parks, and community spaces, it enables Shanghai residents to learn new skills and experience the spirit of craftsmanship, jointly welcoming the upcoming Shanghai WorldSkills Competition.

“Voice of Skills” at the main venue, skill challenges ignite public enthusiasm

Entering the main hall on the fourth floor of Yuexing Global Harbor, visitors are immediately immersed in the atmosphere of the WorldSkills Competition.

In the crowded skill interaction challenge area, nearly 20 popular, fun, and practical skill challenges and interactive projects have drawn large crowds of citizens eager to try their hand. The activities range from dental restoration, clothes folding, color matching, tool usage, and optoelectronic technology to crafting ring flowers. Skill exhibitions, WorldSkills knowledge displays, and policy consultation and empowerment areas have also drawn many citizens.

On the day of the event, Chen Ji, a sophomore at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, delivered an energetic singing performance of the “Voice of Skills,” lifting the atmosphere to a lively peak. It is reported that the song Chen Ji performed is an original rap piece he composed for the 50-day countdown to the 48th WorldSkills Competition. Resonating with the core theme of “Skills change the world; skills illuminate the future,” the lyrics are written from a youth perspective, expressing the ideas of “devoting oneself to skills, striving for self-improvement, shaping the future, and contributing to the country” through simple yet powerful words.

“One School, One Member” skills gallery makes a stunning debut, a total of 243 pieces of work are exhibited online and offline

The “One School, One Member” Youth Skills Gallery also became a major highlight of the event. As a signature initiative of the 48th WorldSkills Competition, the “One School, One Member” program has brought together 62 schools from 15 districts in Shanghai and Pinghu, Zhejiang, pairing them closely with the teams representing 68 participating Member countries and regions around the world.

To foster society-wide attention to the WorldSkills Competition and nurture the spirit of craftsmanship from an early age, the organizing team of the “One School, One Member” program launched a call for Competition-themed paintings across all its partner schools.The campaign drew an enthusiastic response from teachers and students at schools of all levels, yielding a total of 243 high-quality hand-drawn works that vividly depict 51 Official Skills.

An important achievement of the program is the creation of 243 Competition-themed paintings that capture the boundless imagination of young people about skills, WorldSkills Competition, and the future. Of these works, 32 pieces were displayed on site, with the remaining paintings presented on the venue’s liquid-crystal screen. This hybrid youth art corridor, blending movement with stillness, showcases the remarkable creativity and craftsmanship of Shanghai’s young people and has become a vibrant bridge connecting the world with the future.

All 243 paintings have now been digitized, professionally designed and typeset, and compiled into an official cultural commemorative album. Embodying the exchange of skills cultures and shared aspirations between China and the global community, the album will be presented as a distinctive official souvenir to delegations and distinguished guests from 68 participating countries and regions during the “One School, One Member” event on 22 September. Meanwhile, every student whose artwork is selected will receive a copy of this precious official album — a unique memento of their engagement with WorldSkills Competition and their contribution to carrying forward the spirit of craftsmanship. The album conveys the inspiring vision of “Master Skills, Change your Future” to both the world and the younger generation.

“Skills at Your Doorstep” activities across 16 district venues spark a nationwide skills craze

While the main venue was filled with exciting activities, all 16 districts across the city also hosted parallel events from 31 July to 2 August. Working with demonstration training institutions, vocational schools, and skill-talent cultivation bases, each district offered activities that reflected its regional industrial strengths and unique resources, including skill challenges, practical training observations, master demonstrations, WorldSkills knowledge displays, and policy consultation sessions, sparking widespread enthusiasm for learning new skills.

Artificial intelligence, drones, rail transit, pâtisserie and confectionery, floristry, elderly care, pet grooming, coffee making, 3D printing, intangible cultural heritage dough modeling, folk painting… A diverse range of skill activities allowed citizens to explore WorldSkills Competition events and experience the joy of skill learning right at their doorstep.

With the successful conclusion of the 50-day countdown activities, preparations for the 48th WorldSkills Competition have now entered the final stretch. Shanghai is welcoming the 48th WorldSkills Competition with its most enthusiastic spirit, looking forward to young talents from around the world empowering their lives through skills and illuminating a bright future in this city.