How to participate

Each year in Finland, hundreds of people across educational institutions, companies and associations participate in vocational skills competitions.

Competitions are an opportunity for vocational students and teachers as well as professionals already working in their respective fields to develop their skills and build networks. It is also a good opportunity for collaboration between the worlds of education and work. There are many ways to participate in international competitions. Below are some of the roles in which one can get involved in international competitions in Finland. The application periods will be updated on the Finnish and Swedish websites. 

Competitor

Each year, we look for skilled and motivated young professionals to join Team Finland in the international EuroSkills, WorldSkills and International Abilympics competitions. The application period starts approximately one year before the competition date.

The competitors are selected to the team through open qualifying rounds. Finland sends competitors to competitions in skills for which Skills Finland has appointed a Skill Manager and Expert.

The qualifying rounds are organised by the Skill Manager. The final decisions on the composition of the team are made by Skills Finland based on proposals made by Skill Managers. The goal is for all Finnish competitors to reach the Medallion for Excellence level in the competition.
Students other than the competitors will also have the opportunity to take part in the coaching team's activities.

Expert

Every year, we seek experts to serve as judges and subject-matter experts in international EuroSkills, WorldSkills and Abilympics competitions. The application period starts approximately one year before the competition date. Experts are selected based on applications and interviews.

Skills Finland aims to make the benefits and lessons learned through competition activities available to as many organisations as possible. The goal is to provide more and more parties the opportunity to develop their activities through competitions. For this reason, the rule of thumb is that one person cannot be selected both as an Expert and a Skill Manager.

Skill Manager

Skill Managers are appointed for a period of three years at a time, and their task is to develop and coordinate the international competition activities and coaching of skills in Finland.

• Skill Managers 2024–2026 (pdf)

Skill Trainer

Participation in an international competition requires the competitor to undergo a rigorous coaching period. Competitors prepare for the competition with a coaching team, which often includes a Skill Manager, an Expert, and one or more Skill Trainers. The Skill Trainer can be, for example, a vocational teacher, a professional working in the field, or a former competitor. Skill Trainers are sought for skills where international competition training is done under the leadership of a Skill Manager. See the list of Skill Managers above.

• Skill Trainers 2024–2026 (pdf)

Team Leader

The Finnish National Team has 2–3 Team Leaders, changed between competitions. The Team Leaders play a key role in the planning and organisation of national team camps. They also help and support competitors during the competition trip. One of the Team Leaders is a representative of Skills Finland.

Partner

Competitions provide companies with a great opportunity to participate in vocational education and its development. Partnerships can take various forms. For example, a company can offer machines, equipment or materials to a competitor against publicity. Future European and world champions are good role models for young people making decisions about their future studies, for example. On the other hand, a company representative can also become a competitor, Expert, Skill Manager or trainer.

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