EthiopiaSkills is a national initiative led by the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS), dedicated to advancing vocational education and promoting skills excellence across Ethiopia. It serves as a strategic platform to recognize, celebrate, and uplift skilled talent, while reinforcing the critical role of technical and vocational education in building a prosperous and self-reliant nation. The initiative provides a competitive arena where regions across Ethiopia participate in the National Skills Competition, held every two years. Outstanding performers in various skill categories are given the opportunity to represent Ethiopia on the global stage at the prestigious WorldSkills Competition. WorldSkills is an international organization committed to raising the profile and recognition of skilled professionals worldwide. Its mission is to showcase the vital role that skills play in fostering economic growth, innovation, and individual success.
What We Do:
The Ethiopian National Skills Competition promotes excellence in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), serving as a bridge between learning institutions, industry needs, and employment opportunities.
1. Inspire Ethiopian youth to pursue technical and vocational careers with pride and purpose.
2. Strengthen national TVET standards by benchmarking against international best practices.
3. Encourage innovation through healthy competition and exposure to emerging technologies.
4. Enhance workforce readiness by aligning training with labor market and industrial demands.
5. Unite stakeholders across government, industry, and education to create a dynamic skills ecosystem.
EthiopiaSkills envisions a nation where young people are equipped with world-class technical and vocational skills that drive sustainable economic development, innovation, and social progress.
WorldSkills Calgary 2009 saw the biggest competition to date, with 850 young people taking part from 47 countries. Just a year later, the WorldSkills movement broke though the 50 country target, with 53 members.
WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 took the competition to the Middle East for the first time, and introduced the International TVET Youth Forum where participants worked to create a Youth Declaration on the future of skills and training.
The 46th WorldSkills event will be held in Shanghai, as confirmed by the WorldSkills General Assembly in October 2017. The event was originally scheduled for September 2021, but due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, it was decided to shift the event to 2022. The actual rescheduled date is not yet finalized but is expected to be held from 12 to 17 of October 2022, The slogan for WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 is “New Youth, New Skills, New Dream”
Lyon, France was selected as the host city for the 47th WorldSkills competition. Originally scheduled for 12–17 September 2023, it has been moved back one year due to the decision to postpone by one year the 46th Worldskills event originally scheduled to be held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. This will be the second time that France has hosted the WorldSkills competition, the first time being in 1995.