Competition Directors Selected for the 2027 Abilympics and Taitaja Competitions

In the spring of 2027, Finland will have a fantastic opportunity to showcase its expertise to the world when the Abilympics World Championships for professionals with special needs is held at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The goal is to highlight equality and the right of everyone to participate in education and working life in societal discussions.

The competition will take place simultaneously with Taitaja2027, creating a unique Skills Games mega event. The event is expected to bring over 100,000 visitors, including competitors and guests from more than 30 countries, to the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. The event will be organized in collaboration with over 20 educational institutions. The Ministry of Education and Culture supports the organization of both competitions and the mega event.

Abilympics 2027 and Taitaja2027 to Be Implemented in Extensive Cooperation

In the fall of 2024, the 50 member countries of the International Abilympics Association selected Finland and Skills Finland as the organizers of the Abilympics vocational skills competition. Skills Finland is responsible for the overall implementation of Abilympics 2027 and the Skills Games mega event. The entire Skills Finland team will be involved in the execution.

The Chair of the Abilympics event advisory board will be Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz, with Petri Lempinen, Director General of the Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM), as Vice Chair. Other members include Minna Kelhä, Director General of the Finnish National Agency for Education, and Johanna Laisaari, Deputy Mayor of Helsinki.

The Competition Director for Abilympics 2027 is Katri Pokkinen from Careeria. She will be responsible for leading the Abilympics competition and the implementation of competition categories in collaboration with category organizers. The position was open for applications in October 2024, and Katri will start part-time in March and transition to full-time in the fall.

Katri brings extensive experience in international competition operations, having participated in WorldSkills and EuroSkills competitions for over 20 years in various roles, including as a competitor, coach, expert, deputy chief expert, Skills category manager, team leader, Skills Competition Manager, youth forum member, and head judge at Taitaja. In the 2022 WorldSkills Special Edition, she was responsible for coordinating the overall execution of four competition categories in Helsinki.

"It is fantastic that Finland has been given the opportunity to organize such a major national and international event. I am excited to develop the Abilympics competition for professionals with special needs alongside Taitaja. Skills Games will showcase Finland’s top-level expertise to the world," says Katri about her upcoming role.

Taitaja2027 Coordination Led by Omnia

The Taitaja2027 competition will be implemented in cooperation with multiple vocational institutions, with Omnia coordinating the work. Omnia has appointed Thomas Vasenius as the Taitaja2027 Competition Director. Thomas previously served as the Competition Director for Taitaja2023 and is an experienced competition professional.

For ten years, Thomas has held various roles in the Skills network, including as a Skills category manager for landscape gardening, coach, expert, deputy chief expert, and assistant to the Technical Delegate at the WorldSkills competition.

"It is great to have such a strong network involved in organizing the 2027 Taitaja event. This allows us to further develop vocational education and competition activities while also strengthening collaboration between educational institutions," says Thomas.

Further Information