WorldSkills International
WorldSkills International is an Amsterdam-based non-profit that organizes biennial global vocational skills competitions for 1,400+ young competitors from 100+ member countries, supported by corporate Premium Partners, event sponsorships, and member-country fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1950
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WorldSkills International does
WorldSkills International is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1950, headquartered at Keizersgracht 241 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It operates as the global governing body for vocational skills competitions, coordinating a federation of 100+ member countries and regions and delivering biennial flagship events. The next major cycle is the 48th WorldSkills Competition, scheduled for 22-27 September 2026 in Shanghai with more than 1,400 competitors from over 70 countries. Beyond competitions, the organization runs the WorldSkills Conference, the WorldSkills Museum in Shanghai, the WorldSkills Archive, and supporting programs including BeChangeMaker (social entrepreneurship), Champions Trust (alumni advocacy), and Experts Faculty (expert engagement).
The platform is fundamentally an events and standards franchise rather than a technology product. The Secretariat does not develop proprietary technology; its "product" is a curated competition framework spanning dozens of skill areas, an international skills-standards reference used by TVET institutions, and supporting programs that connect member countries, industry sponsors, and young competitors. Operationally, the Secretariat coordinates with national member organizations that run national competitions feeding into international cycles.
The business model is diversified across three revenue streams: Global Premium and Global Industry Partnerships (sponsorships from corporations such as Samsung, Stanley Black & Decker, Festo, Neusoft/Neutech, Pearson, and LIXIL), event-specific sponsorships (e.g., INTAMSYS as exclusive FFF 3D printing sponsor at Shanghai 2026), and recurring membership fees from 100+ member countries and regions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and partnership arrangements are negotiated bilaterally. Distribution is federation-led: national member organizations act as channel partners, running national competitions and assembling teams for international events.
WorldSkills International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WorldSkills International
- Legal name
- WorldSkills International
- Website
- https://worldskills.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1950
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WorldSkills International is an Amsterdam-based non-profit that organizes biennial global vocational skills competitions for 1,400+ young competitors from 100+ member countries, supported by corporate Premium Partners, event sponsorships, and member-country fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WorldSkills International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vocational Skills Competitions and Development
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Business Associations (813910), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA)
Keywords
Where WorldSkills International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
WorldSkills International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Global Partner Sponsorships: WorldSkills generates revenue through partnerships with global industry sponsors who pay to associate their brand with the WorldSkills movement, competitions, and events. Partners receive visibility, exclusive sponsorship rights, and association with skills development.
- Membership Fees: Member countries and regions pay membership fees to be part of WorldSkills International, enabling participation in global competitions and access to the WorldSkills network.
- Event Sponsorships: Companies sponsor specific competitions and skill areas at WorldSkills events, providing equipment, materials, and technical support in exchange for exclusive sponsorship rights and brand visibility.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
WorldSkills International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WorldSkills International is a non-profit membership organization that runs international vocational skills competitions and supporting programs. Its flagship offering is the biennial WorldSkills Competition, complemented by the annual WorldSkills Conference, the BeChangeMaker social entrepreneurship program, the Champions Trust and Experts Faculty alumni/advocacy programs, and the WorldSkills Museum and Archive. The organization raises the profile of skilled professions, sets international skills standards, and connects governments, industry, and education through a network of 100+ member countries.
Product overview
WorldSkills International operates a platform for vocational skills development through competitions, conferences, and supporting programs. The core offering is the WorldSkills Competition, an international event showcasing vocational skills across multiple disciplines. The organization supplements this with the WorldSkills Conference featuring Skills CoLab innovation programs, the WorldSkills Museum and Archive preserving skills heritage, and project initiatives including BeChangeMaker for social entrepreneurship, Champions Trust for alumni advocacy, and Experts Faculty for expert engagement. All events are organized around skills areas spanning technical trades, digital technologies, and industrial disciplines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WorldSkills Competition: The flagship international vocational skills competition event organized by WorldSkills International
- WorldSkills Conference
- BeChangeMaker
- WorldSkills Champions Trust
- Experts Faculty
- WorldSkills Museum
Products and services
- WorldSkills Competition International vocational skills competition bringing together roughly 1,400 young skilled professionals from 70+ countries and regions to compete across 60+ technical disciplines, showcasing excellence in vocational skills for member organizations, governments, and global industry partners.
- WorldSkills Conference Annual conference bringing together industry leaders, TVET professionals, and skills-development experts, featuring the Skills CoLab innovation program and field trips to premier training facilities such as those in Shanghai.
- WorldSkills Museum Physical museum in Shanghai showcasing the history of WorldSkills and the transformative power of skills, with 800+ artefacts spanning the 75-year history of skills competitions.
- WorldSkills Archive Online archive that collects, preserves, and provides access to historical records of WorldSkills International, including historical papers, images, and artefacts documenting skills competitions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 9 out of 10 WorldSkills Champions feel more confident after competing on the global stage
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use WorldSkills International
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WorldSkills International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WorldSkills International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered event-specific sponsor, premium partner, global premium partner and global industry partner.
- INTAMSYSevent-specific sponsorINTAMSYS has been named the exclusive FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) 3D printing sponsor for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, providing high-performance equipment, materials, and technical support across four skill areas including Mechanical Engineering-CAD, Additive Manufacturing, Industrial Design Technology, and Unmanned Aerial Systems. The partnership builds on their successful collaboration at WorldSkills Lyon 2024.
- DEWALT (Stanley Black & Decker)premium partnerDEWALT, a Stanley Black & Decker brand, has been named a premium partner and tools sponsor for SkillsUSA and WorldSkills International, providing tools and resources to American competitors ahead of the 2026 WorldSkills Competition.
- Neutech Group (Neusoft)global premium partnerNeutech Group became the first Chinese enterprise to join WorldSkills International as a Global Premium Partner at the 2025 WorldSkills General Assembly in Croatia. The partnership aims to promote global vocational skills innovation, talent development, and support for skills in digital and industrial technologies, especially in regions like Africa and Southeast Asia.
- LIXILglobal industry partnerLIXIL, a maker of pioneering water and housing products, became a WorldSkills Global Industry Partner in October 2025, joining the partnership network that supports vocational skills development.
- Samsungglobal premium partnerSamsung is listed as a Global Premium Partner of WorldSkills International, believing in the power of skills to enlighten and inspire young students for their future.
- Stanley Black & Deckerglobal premium partnerStanley Black & Decker is listed as a Global Premium Partner, believing that in dynamic times, skills shape and define our world.
- Festoglobal premium partnerFesto is listed as a Global Premium Partner, committed to empowering young experts around the world through technical education and vocational training.
- Pearsonglobal premium partnerPearson is listed as a Global Premium Partner supporting WorldSkills International's mission to raise the profile of skilled people.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WorldSkills International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DECA: International student association focused on business, marketing, finance, and hospitality career preparation through competitions, conferences, and curriculum; highly comparable to WorldSkills in mission, member-driven structure, and global competition footprint for young people.
- SkillsUSA: U.S. national membership organization for students and instructors in career and technical education; the U.S. member organization of WorldSkills and the pipeline that sends American competitors to international WorldSkills events. Directly comparable in mission, competition format, and stakeholder base.
- FBLA-PBL (Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda): U.S.-based student career and technical organization running competitive events, leadership conferences, and partner-sponsored programs for young people pursuing business and technical careers; directly comparable competition-and-member model.
Others
- International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency setting global standards on work, skills, and employment policy; comparable as a globally networked organization whose mandate on skills development overlaps with WorldSkills' standards-setting mission.
- Pearson: Global education and certification company that is both a Global Premium Partner of WorldSkills and a broader incumbent operating in adjacent TVET, assessment, and credentialing markets where WorldSkills standards increasingly matter.
- Festo Didactic: Vocational training equipment and curriculum provider that is both a Global Premium Partner of WorldSkills and a broader commercial actor in technical skills training infrastructure directly relevant to WorldSkills' competition and TVET positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Junior Achievement Worldwide: Global non-profit delivering work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy programs to young people; broader in scope than WorldSkills but highly comparable as a youth skills-development, sponsor-supported international organization.
Regional players
- WorldSkills Asia: Regional coordination body for WorldSkills competitions in Asia; directly comparable as a regional chapter feeding into the international WorldSkills cycle.
- EuroSkills: European regional vocational skills competition organized under the WorldSkills Europe framework; comparable format, scope, and member-country structure but focused exclusively on the European continent.
- Skills Canada: Canadian national member organization that organizes national skills competitions and sends Team Canada to WorldSkills; operates the same competition-and-member model in a single national market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WorldSkills International social profiles
Digital presenceWorldSkills International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WorldSkills International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
WorldSkills International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WorldSkills International M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WorldSkills International
What does WorldSkills International do?
WorldSkills International is a non-profit membership organization that runs international vocational skills competitions and supporting programs. Its flagship offering is the biennial WorldSkills Competition, complemented by the annual WorldSkills Conference, the BeChangeMaker social entrepreneurship program, the Champions Trust and Experts Faculty alumni/advocacy programs, and the WorldSkills Museum and Archive. The organization raises the profile of skilled professions, sets international skills standards, and connects governments, industry, and education through a network of 100+ member countries.
Is WorldSkills International a public or private company?
WorldSkills International is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WorldSkills International founded?
WorldSkills International was founded in 1950. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WorldSkills International based?
WorldSkills International is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does WorldSkills International make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Global Partner Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees and event Sponsorships.
Who are WorldSkills International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DECA, SkillsUSA and FBLA-PBL (Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda). Others are International Labour Organization (ILO), Pearson and Festo Didactic. Junior Achievement Worldwide is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are WorldSkills Asia, EuroSkills and Skills Canada.
Does WorldSkills International have an API?
No public API is recorded for WorldSkills International.
What industry is WorldSkills International in?
WorldSkills International's product category is Vocational Skills Competitions and Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAFAA, Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry). Its NAICS code is 6115 and its SIC code is 8600.