Skills have become a top national priority across the globe, but no country is solving the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) challenges alone. Demographic shifts, the digital transition, and the green transition are forcing systems worldwide to adapt quickly and equip young people for the future of work. WorldSkills Conference 2026 is where the international skills community meets to turn that shared urgency into coordinated action.

In 2024, WorldSkills Conference brought the international skills community together in Lyon, France, to elevate TVET on the global agenda. More than 30 Ministers and government representatives joined business, education, and industry leaders, alongside young people, in tackling urgent skills development challenges. Their contributions serve as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when people around the world unite behind a shared vision.

Since then, the “Towards a Global TVET Agenda” (TGTA) initiative launched in 2025 to increase coherence across TVET initiatives worldwide, reinforce international networks, and accelerate the scaling of effective, innovative approaches across regions.

The initiative is sponsored by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). It brings together leading international organizations – UNESCO, through UNESCO-UNEVOC, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the OECD, and the European Training Foundation (ETF), with WorldSkills International as an associated partner – within a coordinated framework linking policy dialogue, data development, and implementation support.

Building on this momentum, WorldSkills Conference 2026: Shaping a skills-driven future, taking place in Shanghai, China, from 23 to 25 September, is uniquely placed to connect people, policy, and progress, making it the natural home for turning a joint TVET agenda into action.

“The WorldSkills Conference, held alongside the world’s greatest skills competition, is a powerful moment to steer collective action and strengthen political commitment towards a global TVET agenda,” says David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International.

As part of the Conference programme, the “Towards a Global TVET Agenda” initiative will feature across three activities: a session at the Skills CoLab, a public workshop, and a closed-door Steering Board meeting.

Other multilateral initiatives also feature in the Conference programme, including a session exploring how UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy can move from awareness to action. Through this academy, UNESCO connects a global portfolio of skills opportunities – including certification programmes and international mobility pathways – with national priorities.

The OECD’s PISA-VET programme – the first large-scale global assessment for TVET – will also feature prominently in the Conference programme. Two sessions will explore why international assessment matters, how cross-sector collaboration is shaping the initiative, and what comparable evidence on vocational skills can mean for policy, practice, and the future attractiveness of TVET pathways.

On day three, the African Union Commission, the governments of Zimbabwe and Malawi, UNIDO, GIZ, and a youth representative will join the session “Africa’s skills landscape: current practice and future directions,” presenting a collaborative mapping of externally supported TVET initiatives across the continent. Panellists will reflect on the trends, approaches, and shortfalls emerging from the mapping and consider how international cooperation can support national and continental priorities, such as the African Continental TVET Strategy 2025–2034.

Three days of dialogue will culminate in the closing plenary, “How to shape a skills-driven future in the post-2030 agenda,” bringing together government leaders, international organizations, and industry representatives to move from insight to commitment. Drawing on perspectives from across regions and sectors, with particular weight given to the voices of young people, the session will set out where consensus is forming, where gaps remain, and what concrete steps must follow.

Ahead of the closing plenary, Xiaolei Zhao, Head of UNIDO’s Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO), highlights how Shanghai is the ideal location to spark new ideas and global partnerships in skills development: “As China’s economic and innovation driving house, Shanghai has always been at the forefront of new skills development and cutting-edge technology application. Hosting the WorldSkills Conference here is not only a recognition of the city’s dynamism, but also an ideal opportunity to infuse the global skills agenda with Eastern wisdom.”

WorldSkills Conference 2026 is the unmissable skills event of the year for leaders committed to building inclusive, future-ready societies.

Register for the WorldSkills Conference 2026.

For the original article, visit:  https://worldskillsconference2026.com/news/worldskills-conference-will-advance-the-global-agenda-for-tvet/