The highly anticipated WorldSkills Conference 2026 will bring together leading thinkers and system shapers in TVET, making it the perfect platform to exchange knowledge. Which is why, for the first time, the event will feature an interactive marketplace for ideas sharing.
The Skills CoLab will be a dynamic forum where delegates can share practical experience, learn from innovative programmes, and connect with peers from around the world. Equipped with these insights and examples, participants can then return to their nations and regions inspired by international best practice.
The decision to host the marketplace at the Conference was made following feedback from WorldSkills Members about how valuable they found the ideas sharing at WorldSkills Conference 2024.
Roy Ramirez Quesada, Technical Delegate for WorldSkills Costa Rica, describes the event in Lyon as “an important catalyst for change.” He reflects that he was able to take ideas from the discussions around impact monitoring, the integration of AI in skills development, and the progress of the PISA-VET project, and translate them into a comprehensive national strategy in his own country.
Shaun Thorson, CEO of Skills/Compétences Canada, agrees, saying the bilateral meetings at WorldSkills Conference 2024 helped them “engage senior officials and organizations and bring back key insights for implementation in Canada”.
Skills CoLab will offer more opportunities for sharing at WorldSkills Conference 2026. It will have an agile format, with presenters talking for 20-30 minutes, offering insights into their project, lessons learnt, and how these approaches can be applied within different system structures.
This open, collaborative format reinforces the powerful role WorldSkills Conference plays in uniting the global skills community. Technical Delegate, Martin Erlacher, observed in Lyon how “in an increasingly complex global context, WorldSkills Conference remains a neutral and trusted space. It creates room for multilateral dialogue that would not happen elsewhere.”
Global Premium Partner, Festo sees WorldSkills Conference as a unique global platform. Elfi Klumpp, Festo Global Partner representative, says, “The Conference unlocks opportunities for us to benchmark industry innovations for state-of-the-art education, co-create programmes for skills development, and contribute an industry voice that strengthens relevance for lifelong learning and the WorldSkills movement.”
The Skills CoLab call for submissions is open until 30 April 2026. Projects at different stages are welcome, from proven programmes to promising pilots, especially those that are:
- addressing real skills development challenges
- ready to share practical insights
- open to collaboration and knowledge exchange
- demonstrating impact or strong potential
David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International, says, “Our community is always looking for new and innovative ways to respond to the rapid change and technological advancements that we are seeing in the labour market and around TVET. Skills CoLab will give them a chance to trade ideas with peers and be inspired by some of the most exciting projects from around the world.”
Learn more about Skills CoLab and the agenda for WorldSkills Conference 2026.
Secure your early-bird registration until 30 April 2026.