What WorldSkills Belgium does

WorldSkills Belgium is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL/VZW), founded in 1998 and headquartered in Namur with a Brussels antenna office, operating as the official Belgian member of WorldSkills International and WorldSkills Europe. The organization promotes technical, technological, and scientific trades among young Belgians by running an annual national skills competition across 32 trades and 6 sectors, training selected competitors through "Skills Teams," preparing the Belgian national team for EuroSkills and WorldSkills international championships (most recently Lyon 2024, with Shanghai 2026 upcoming), and producing the annual three-day Startech's Days public event at WEX Marche-en-Famenne, which attracted more than 13,000 visitors in 2025.

Its product portfolio is programmatic rather than commercial: Startech's Days (themed villages and STEAM experiences), the National Competition pipeline (registrations, preselections, Skills Teams, national finals, Belgian Team selection), the WorldSkills Belgium Training Centers label network (10+ competence centers covering welding, IT network systems, hairdressing, CNC milling, refrigeration, automotive, baking, graphic design, and carpentry), STEAMULI for STEAM awareness, mental-training publications, and the internal CIS judging system used at national finals. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: young competitors are sourced through schools and training centers, expert volunteers are recruited from industry, and audiences are reached through a multilingual website (FR/NL/DE), social media, and the Cités des Métiers career-center network in Brussels, Charleroi, Liège, and Namur.

The business model is a managed-services-style grant-and-sponsorship structure typical of a federation member organization. Core funding comes from Belgian regional and community public institutions (Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Wallonia Region, Brussels-Capital Region, Ostbelgien, COCOF, Flemish Region) and the European Social Fund. This is supplemented by a tiered sponsor structure — Premium, Gold (John Cockerill Foundation, DMG MORI), and Bronze — from sector training funds (Constructiv, Febelhair, Alimento), public employment and training services (Actiris, Bruxelles Formation, Forem, IFAPME), industry associations (Agoria), and equipment manufacturers (Fanuc). The organization does not sell commercial products or services, does not publicly disclose pricing, and discloses no revenue figures.

Name

WorldSkills Belgium

Legal name

WorldSkills Belgium asbl

Website

https://worldskills.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WorldSkills Belgium is a Namur-based non-profit association and the official Belgian member of WorldSkills International, promoting technical and scientific trades among young Belgians through national competitions, a labeled training-center network, the annual Startech's Days public event, and Belgian representation at EuroSkills and WorldSkills championships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Skills Competitions and Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education & Training Providers (EDABALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Vocational skills competitions
• Technical trades promotion
• Career orientation events
• Skills training programs
• STEAM awareness

Headquarters

HQ city

Namur

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Institutional Grants: WorldSkills Belgium operates as a non-profit association (ASBL) supported by public institutions including the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Wallonia Region, Brussels-Capital Region, Ostbelgien, the European Social Fund, and the French Community Commission. These institutional partners provide core operational funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WorldSkills Belgium organizes national skills competitions across 32 trades in six sectors, runs the annual Startech's Days public event for career orientation, prepares Belgian teams for EuroSkills and WorldSkills international competitions, and operates a network of labeled Training Centers that deliver technical preparation and mentorship for young competitors. As an ASBL non-profit, it does not sell commercial products but delivers mission-driven programs funded by public institutions and partners.

Product overview

WorldSkills Belgium is a non-profit organization (ASBL) promoting technical, technological and scientific trades and careers through a comprehensive portfolio of competition programs, training initiatives, and public engagement events. The core offerings include the annual Startech's Days event featuring themed villages and competitions, the national skills competition selecting competitors across 32 trades, WorldSkills Belgium Training Centers providing specialized preparation, Skills Teams development programs, and representation at EuroSkills (European) and WorldSkills (World) competitions via the Belgian Team. Supporting programs include STEAMULI for STEAM awareness, Mental Training resources, and the CIS judging system for competition management. The organization operates through partnerships with Belgian and international training institutions, sector organizations, and public authorities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Startech's Days
• National Skills Competition (Compétition Nationale)
• WorldSkills Belgium Training Centers
• Skills Teams
• Belgian Team
• EuroSkills Participation Program
• WorldSkills International Participation Program
• STEAMULI

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000+ visitors at Startech's Days 2025, demonstrating broad public engagement with technical career promotion.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

37 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Commission communautaire française (COCOF)coreOthersGlobal institutional partner providing core funding and support for WorldSkills Belgium's operations as a member of the French Community of Belgium.
• Fédération Wallonie-BruxellescoreOthersGovernment entity of the French Community of Belgium providing institutional support and funding.
• Wallonia Region (Wallonie)coreOthersRegional government of Wallonia providing institutional funding and support.
• Région Bruxelles-CapitalecoreOthersBrussels-Capital Region government providing institutional support.
• OstbelgiencoreOthersGerman-speaking Community of Belgium providing institutional support.
• Fond Social Européen (FSE)coreOthersEuropean Social Fund providing co-funding for vocational training and youth employment initiatives.
• ActirismajorOthersBrussels public employment service, Premium partner providing support for competition activities and youth employment programs.
• AgoriamajorOthersBelgium's largest employers' organization for the technology and manufacturing sector, Premium partner. President of WorldSkills Belgium's Board is from Agoria.
• AlimentomajorOthersSectoral training fund for the food industry, Premium partner and STEAM awareness partner.
• Bruxelles FormationmajorOthersBrussels public training service, Premium partner and training partner. Bruxelles Formation Construction collaborates on Sani-Chauffage (plumbing/heating) expertise.
• ForemmajorOthersWalloon public employment and training service, Premium partner and training partner. Forem Cepegra center is a labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Center.
• IFAPMEmajorOthersWalloon Institute for Training through Alternance and Self-Employment, Premium partner and training partner. Multiple IFAPME centers are labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Centers.
• ConstructivmajorOthersSectoral training fund for the construction industry, Premium partner.
• FebelhairmajorOthersSectoral training fund for the hairdressing and beauty sector, Premium partner.
• FanucmajorTechnology or IntegrationPremium partner and equipment provider for CNC and robotics training and competition.
• Technicity.brusselscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrussels competence center for digital technology. Core WorldSkills Belgium Training Center partner for Welding and Refrigeration Technologies. Provides training infrastructure and expertise.
• TechnobelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian competence center for ICT and telecommunications. Labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Center for IT Network Systems Administration. Provides training infrastructure.
• TECHNIFUTURcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian technology and innovation training center. Labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Center for CNC Milling. Partner for STEAM awareness. Provides training infrastructure.
• TechnocampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalloon technology training center spread across 6 sites (Mons, Strépy, Gosselies). Core WorldSkills Belgium Training Center for Welding (with Technicity.brussels). Trains 10,000+ people annually with ~500,000 training hours.
• Centres CoachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHairdressing training center. Labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Center for Hairdressing. Provides training infrastructure.
• efp / sfpmecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrussels training center for automobile technology. Labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Center for Automotive Technology. Premium supporter and training partner.
• IFAPME Liège-Huy-Waremme-VervierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFAPME regional center. Labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Center for Baking. Also listed as supporter.
• Forem CepegracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalloon graphic arts and digital communication center. Labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Center for Graphic Design and Web Technologies.
• Don Bosco Verviers and ConstruForm LiègecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of two carpentry training institutions. Jointly labeled WorldSkills Belgium Training Center for Carpentry. Both are also training partners.
• ESIA S.A.minorOthersBronze partner. A new partnership was announced as of 2025.
• VlaanderenmajorOthersGovernment of the Flemish Region, Premium partner providing institutional support for Flemish activities.
• Wallonie EntreprendremajorOthersWalloon regional investment and enterprise development agency, Premium partner.
• John Cockerill FoundationmajorOthersGold partner. Foundation supporting technological innovation and industrial excellence, aligned with WorldSkills Belgium's mission.
• DMG MORImajorTechnology or IntegrationGold partner. CNC machine tool manufacturer providing equipment for training and competition.
• Cité des Métiers BrusselscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer center in Brussels providing career orientation services. Part of the Cité des Métiers network.
• La Cité des Métiers de CharleroicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer center in Charleroi providing career orientation services. Part of the Cité des Métiers network.
• La Cité des Métiers de LiègecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer center in Liège providing career orientation services. Part of the Cité des Métiers network.
• La Cité des Métiers de NamurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer center in Namur providing career orientation services. Part of the Cité des Métiers network.
• STEAMULIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) awareness partner. An initiative managed by WorldSkills Belgium to promote STEAM careers.
• Spark OH!minorOthersSTEAM awareness partner promoting science and technology experiences for youth.
• EuroSkillscoreOthersEuropean skills competition organization. WorldSkills Belgium is the official Belgian member, sending teams to EuroSkills events.
• WorldSkills InternationalcoreOthersGlobal skills competition organization. WorldSkills Belgium is the official Belgian member organization, sending teams to WorldSkills international events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/facebook.worldskills.be
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worldskills-belgium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WorldSkills Belgium