WorldSkills UK boss Ben Blackledge officially opened this year’s EuroSkills competition at an entertaining opening ceremony in Denmark earlier this evening encouraging Europe to unite against skills challenges.
The UK chief roused a crowd of thousands tonight at the Jyske Bank BOXEN arena in Herning, Denmark and welcomed the 600 competitors, delegates and supporters to Europe’s largest skills competition.
Team UK will go head-to-head against hundreds of their peers from 33 countries in 17 skills from tomorrow in an intense three-day competition.
The team of 19 students and apprentices proudly flew the flag across the stage in front of thousands of audience members and cheers from training managers, ex-competitors and families in the crowd.
Ben Blackledge, chief executive of WorldSkills UK and recently appointed chair of WorldSkills Europe, officially opened the competition, and told competitors they were not only shaping their own future, but Europe’s opportunities and challenges.
“Skills are heart of how we work together for a sustainable future, how we build inclusive pathways for people from all backgrounds and abilities and how we adapt to new technologies,” he said.
“In a world where challenges such as how we respond to changing technologies and the climate crisis do not stop at boundaries, our collective effort is essential,” he added.
It is expected up to 100,000 visitors from across Denmark and abroad will attend the event over the next three days.
EuroSkills Herning is the ninth biennial competition for 33 member countries across the continent.
This year’s event will be the testbed to see if Team UK have what it takes to go up against the world’s best young tradespeople at the hotly anticipated WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
Last September, during WorldSkills Lyon, France, delegates were treated to a mesmerising show by the Chinese team, just a small taste of what to expect in 2026.
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, former prime minister of Denmark, chairman of EuroSkills 2025 board, welcomed the competitors or “athletes” of Europe with an encouraging message.
“To the competitors, you are the true stars of, what some may call an event, but what I call summit,” he said.
“You carry the promise of Europe’s future,” he added.
Rasmussen, who was PM of Denmark from 1993 to 2001, told the audience that the 33 countries coming together this week was a “strong message” to those who “threaten Europe’s competitive strength and values”.
In July Denmark took over the presidency of the European Union council. This week also marks a meeting between European ministers in Herning, including UK skills minister Jacqui Smith, to discuss vocational education.
“We are here together. We are stronger than ever,” Rasmussen added.
At tonight’s opening ceremony, the audience was also treated to performances from Danish singer/songwriter Malte Ebert.
Two competitors and two experts were then asked to acknowledge the WorldSkills oath, which promises to compete and officiate “fairly” by respecting the code of ethics and conduct, the competition rules, and the WorldSkills values.
The competitor’s oath is as follows: “In the name of all competitors, I promise to compete fairly, respecting and abiding by the code of ethics and conduct, the competition rules, and the WorldSkills Europe values – all in the true spirit of WorldSkills Europe.”
New experiences reach new heights
For many, this week’s competition will be a one-of-a-kind experience. Four competitors have added flying abroad to their roster of new experiences.
Despite flying to Herning from London with some turbulence, graphics design competitor Melody Cheung said the flight was smooth sailing. She hadn’t been on an airplane since she was a baby and told FE Week that she was excited to do more in the future.
Meanwhile, Ryan Sheridan, the training manager for the mechanical engineering CAD skill, had to pull out of the event at the last minute for personal reasons.
WorldSkills competition rules state that training managers cannot be replaced but Stuart Lyons, the Team UK competitor, will be supported by Bryn Jones, an expert in the additive manufacturing skill and lecturer at Coleg Menai, Wales.
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