China News Service, Shanghai, September 24 (Reporter Su Jingxin) On the 23rd, the 2026 World Skills Conference opened in Shanghai. Different from the WorldSkills Competition held at the same time, this conference extends the skills competition on the field to broader issues of youth skills development. In the context of the rapid development of AI, what kind of skilled talents will be needed in the future has become the core issue of many meetings that day.
Nelson, president and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, said that technological advancement and the rapidly changing social environment are changing the nature of technical work, and a new generation of technical workers are entering the workplace with new expectations.
On the same day, Dewalt, a brand of Stanley Black & Decker, released the results of a global survey, which collected feedback from more than 500 contestants. The results show that most professional and technical personnel believe that AI is a supplementary tool to practical experience, rather than a substitute. Their demand for digital tools and AI is also strong, with 83% of respondents saying these technologies should be incorporated into skills training.
Mario Nava, Director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Integration, also said that AI will only change and replace some jobs, but will not replace workers.
In the view of many participants, skills education cannot only be satisfied with "teaching a skill", but also equips young people with the ability to adapt to the new round of technological changes.
Nicola Bauer, vice president of global product development at Festo Teaching and Training, emphasized that the people-centered workforce development model means that technology adapts to people, rather than people adapting to technology; training must not only teach technology, but also cultivate creativity and lifelong learning capabilities.
Soledad Patiño from UNESCO also believes that if an artificial intelligence-driven economy wants to thrive, it must pay attention to skills training while cultivating the humanistic qualities of young people; the school system also needs to adjust with the changes in the world and combine skills training with youth career development opportunities.
But she also pointed out that no one party can do this alone, and partnerships are crucial. Strengthening cooperation can help bridge the global skills gap and build a more inclusive, resilient, and future-oriented society.
This is exactly the value of the WorldSkills Conference platform. In his speech at the opening ceremony of the conference that day, Wu Han, Chairman of WorldSkills Organization, said: "There is a reason why people still choose to gather face to face at such a moment. When attention is focused here, progress will follow, faster than any plan made by oneself."
The "Skills Collaboration Laboratory" set up for the first time at the conference also provides a more specific communication space for these discussions. In order to promote effective communication between pioneering skills development projects and participants, 26 innovative skills development projects from 20 countries gathered in Shanghai for the first time.
On the same day, the "AR Augmented Reality Welding Education Project" jointly created by China's Jiangsu Maritime Vocational and Technical College and Spain's Spanish company attracted many participants to come for consultation. This project applies augmented reality simulation technology to welding training, hoping to improve training efficiency and safety while reducing costs.
"There are many people coming to communicate today, some from Africa and some from Europe." said Zhu Zhifeng, head of Spire China. "The person we just talked to was a Ghanaian university president. He hopes to come to our classroom to see this technology with his own eyes." (End)
