From preparing restaurant-worthy meals and repairing cars to programming robots and operating drones, young people from around the world will put their skills to the test in Shanghai this week at the largest WorldSkills Competition yet.

The event opens Tuesday with a record 1,385 competitors from 68 countries and regions, marking its first edition on the Chinese mainland. Often dubbed the “Skills Olympics,” the biennial competition will see participants vie for medals across 64 disciplines, ranging from traditional trades to advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.

Unlike conventional sporting events, WorldSkills tests competitors on their ability to perform practical tasks drawn from the workplace. Participants generally must be under 22, although the age limit extends to 25 for some disciplines, and have between 15 and 22 hours to complete their assignments. They can compete only once in their lifetime.

In cooking, competitors must plan menus, prepare and plate dishes, and serve them on time while meeting food safety standards. Automobile technology contestants diagnose and repair vehicle faults, while robot systems integration contestants assemble and program industrial robots to perform automated tasks. This year’s debut unmanned aerial systems discipline tests skills in building, testing, and maintaining drones.

It’s one of seven disciplines added this year to reflect changing labor-market demands, with the others including dental prosthetics, digital media interactive design, intelligent security technology, rail vehicle technology, retail sales, and software testing.

Chen Yujie, deputy director and researcher at the Vocational and Skills Research Office of the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security, told state agency Xinhua that WorldSkills regularly adds, merges, or eliminates disciplines to keep pace with industry changes. Chen added that even established disciplines update their technical standards and competition content.

The inaugural competition, held in Madrid in 1950, featured just six disciplines — fitting, pattern making, turning, electrical installations, milling, and cabinetmaking — and 24 competitors from two countries.

This year’s opening ceremony will take place Tuesday evening at the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Center. The roughly 90-minute event centers on the mortise-and-tenon joint, a traditional Chinese woodworking technique.

Competition begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday at the National Exhibition and Convention Center, where roughly 300,000 square meters of space has been converted into workshops ranging from professional kitchens to drone-flight zones. Some 400,000 visitors are expected over the four days.

Admission is free, but visitors must reserve a time slot online. Once inside, they can watch competitors at work from just a meter away or try their hand at practical skills. Some events, including beauty therapy, hairdressing, and restaurant service, will also recruit members of the public to take part.

The event will also host the WorldSkills Conference, bringing together more than 2,000 delegates, including 50 government ministers, to discuss issues such as AI’s impact on labor and green development.

China joined WorldSkills International in 2010 and made its competitive debut the following year in London. From 2011 through 2024, Chinese competitors won 93 gold, 41 silver, and 28 bronze medals, along with 71 Medallions for Excellence. China topped both the gold-medal table and overall team rankings for four consecutive editions.

China will field competitors in all 64 disciplines this year, with vocational-school teachers and students making up more than 60% of its delegation, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

(Header image: South Korean mechatronics competitors prepare for the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, Sept. 21, 2026. Xinhua)