On 23 September 2026, WorldSkills Conference 2026 will be officially opened by Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China. This high-level support for the global skills event is a clear signal of China’s commitment to skills development and excellence.
The global event has been organized by WorldSkills International in partnership with China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS).
Minister Wang from MOHRSS will be speaking at WorldSkills Conference 2026, alongside a number of other senior politicians and ministers from the People’s Republic of China including: Aihong Lu, Vice President, China Association for Labour Studies; Liduo Wu, Director General, Department of Vocational Capacity Building, MOHRSS; and Ying Wang, Director General, China Employment Training and Technical Instruction Center, MOHRSS.
The WorldSkills Conference runs alongside WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, the 48th WorldSkills Competition. Together, they are drawing more than 500,000 visitors to Shanghai between 22 and 27 September.
David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International, recognizes the support that China has given to skills development and excellence since it officially became a Member in 2010.
He says, “Our future will be more secure and more sustainable if we invest in skills, either as individual countries or through multilateral agreements. That is why it is so valuable to have leaders like Premier Li join us at the Conference. Having the support of national and international policymakers helps WorldSkills elevate the value of TVET on a global stage.”
This is the 12th WorldSkills Conference, and it is set to be the largest and most significant yet. Over 2,000 delegates are expected to attend, bringing together skilled professionals, educators, industry leaders, and young changemakers from more than 100 countries.
The Conference will take place in Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) and will run for three days. Sessions have been designed to share best practice, debate new technologies and innovation, and discuss how global policy should shift so skills are more highly valued, and greater investment is given to improving skills systems and infrastructure.