Global Industry Partners (GIP), for whom the topic of professional vocational training is not just lip service, play a major role in the vocational competitions. Festo is one of the exclusive partners in the disciplines of Industry 4.0, mechatronics and water technology.

This close partnership between WorldSkills and Festo has existed for 30 years. As a partner from the very beginning, the company provides learning systems for the skills competitions, where the young talents hold their competitions every two years. The next WorldSkills, already the 46th of its kind, will take place in Shanghai in 2022 - one year later than planned due to the pandemic. This increases the importance of the learning systems provided by Festo Didactic: Due to the postponement, WorldSkills has declared 2021 the "Year of Innovation". On the one hand, the time gained until the next World Skills Championships will be available for training, preparing and building skills, but it is also about making the content of the competitions fit for the digital age with new technologies and knowledge.

Combating the shortage of skilled workers

"As a learning company, Festo attaches great importance to the topic of technical vocational training in order to provide future generations with the necessary professional know-how to combat skills shortages and unemployment and to enable them to use new technologies," explains Dr. Hans Jörg Stotz, Member of the Management Board of Festo Didactic SE, which is responsible for technical training and further education within the Festo Group. This makes the global player in electrical and pneumatic automation technology the ideal partner for WorldSkills.

Global Industry Partners must be internationally positioned and provide the teams from the participating countries with the competition material and equipment. Festo Didactic is therefore providing the CP Lab Industry 4.0 learning system for the new Industry 4.0 discipline, the MPS modular production system for the mechatronics discipline and the EDS (Environment Discovery System) learning system for the water technology discipline, in which the trainees simulate the processes of a waterworks and a sewage treatment plant. With the learning systems, the young talents can always solve industry-related tasks with the most innovative products and solutions in electrical and pneumatic automation technology and process automation from technology leaders such as Festo.

Successful careers in technical professions

"We believe more than ever that the skills of young people will lead us on the path to global economic recovery and prosperity," says David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International. Partnerships with innovative and global industry partners help WorldSkills to prepare young people for successful careers in technical professions. The WorldSkills competitions are an unforgettable experience for the young people, who represent their country with pride and start their professional lives with motivation.