For the winners? The opportunity to represent Poland at European and even world level. The Worldskills Poland 2022 industry skills competition is underway in the halls of AmberExpo, with competitors from all over Poland taking part in 22 competitions. On November 23, during the event's opening debate, the Rector of UG prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski talked about the role of universities in the development of vocational education.
Prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski
- 'If there are high technologies in a given vocational sector, then as the University of Gdańsk we feel that it is our mission to support this sector expertly. Future vocational school teachers also gain qualifications at our university,' - said the Rector. - 'However, this is a two-way exchange. Universities learn from vocational education, especially the kind we see at Worldskills Poland - modern and open to challenges.'
Thousands of spectators, experts and mentors gathered at Amber Expo to watch the competitions. From among more than two hundred competitors, the best will be selected to represent Poland next year in either the European competition, Euroskills, or the world competition, Worldskills. The young craftsmen will tackle a variety of tasks, the content of which they may even find out about on the same day. - 'This year, we have prepared surprise tasks, which will only be revealed before the competition begins. In the works produced, we are assessing, among other things, colouring, composition and creativity,' - explains Karolina Ładyżyńska-Skrzypek, chief expert in the floristry competition.
The three-day competition began on November 23. - 'We took part in the first edition of Worldskills Poland. It is amazing how this initiative has developed over these few years,' - said Laurence Gates, Director General of WorldSkills Europe, at the opening of the event.
Magdalena Polaszek
In addition to the 22 competitions, the AmberExpo halls offered an opportunity to browse a variety of educational offers from technical schools to universities. Fahrenheit Universities were not absent from the event. - 'At the moment I'm trying to be here and now, I'm focusing on Worldskills and I'll see what the future holds for me. I'm definitely going to stay at university. I'm thinking about the University of Gdańsk. I'm a humanist, so maybe I'll choose a course at the Faculty of Philology,' - says Magdalena Polaszek, a student of the Hotel and Catering Schools Complex in Gdynia and a competitor in the Worldskills Poland 2022 Hotel Guest Service competition.
The winners of the Polish qualifiers will be announced on the evening of November 25. A test of their skills among the best from around the world or Europe awaits those selected. Some of them will return next year to Gdańsk, where the Euroskills 2023 competition will be held.
