21 is the number of young people from the Algarve who will represent the region in the 46th National Professional Championship, which starts on the 12th of November, at EUROPARQUE, in Santa Maria da Feira, and ends on the 16th.
This is an initiative of the Institute of Employment and Professional Training (IEFP) – WorldSkills Portugal, which represents our country in the organizations “WorldSkills Europe” and “WorldSkills International”.
In the National Professional Championship, which this year will have the theme “Where there is competence, there is a direction”, 400 highly qualified young people will be competing against each other in tests that simulate real work situations and where they can demonstrate their skills in each of their professions.
There are 58 professions in competition, grouped into six sectors of activity: Civil construction and public works; Transport and logistics; Management and information technologies; Social, personal and tourism services; Creative arts; Production, engineering and technology.
Between the 13th and 15th of November, the public will be able to watch the competitors compete against each other, in spaces dedicated to each profession, in tests that take place simultaneously, in a kind of “Professions Champions League”, where their performance is evaluated, which reflects not only theoretical and practical knowledge, but also personal characteristics that enhance their skills at a professional level.
To get here, each young participant, who can be between 17 and 29 years old, attends or has completed a professional training course and has gone through demanding pre-selection phases and regional tests in the field of know-how.
At the end of this initiative, it will be known who, in each profession, demonstrated the greatest competence and therefore came away with gold, silver, bronze or excellence medals.
Some of these people will travel to Herning, Denmark, in September 2025, where the 9th edition of the European Skills Championship will be held. In September 2026, Shanghai, China, will host the 48th edition of the World Skills Championship.
In the last World Skills Championship, WorldSkills Lyon 2024, Portugal won eight medals of excellence, placing our country in 13th place among the countries in the world that participated and in 7th among the countries in Europe.
In addition to individual competitions, some professions have team events where team spirit and the effectiveness of group dynamics are valued to achieve a common goal.
Alongside the competition, Europarque hosts a series of seminars related to professional training, technical workshops, as well as performances and entertainment in the indoor and outdoor spaces of the venue.
In the words of Gustavo Seia, coordinator of Worldskills Portugal, “this event aims to promote Professional Training and help young people make an informed choice about their professional future, demonstrating that professional training can be an alternative as valid as scientific-humanistic education”.
«In recent years, the number of young people who find success by following the vocational path has been increasing, which is increasingly valued by employers, allows for faster inclusion in the job market and gives access to strategic and financially attractive areas of activity, contributing significantly to the country's economic growth», says the coordinator.
Entry to the event is free.
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