September 23 — The 2026 WorldSkills Conference opened in Shanghai. Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of China, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Professor Wen Tao, Executive Director, CEO and President of Neutech Group Limited and Honorary President of the university, was invited to the Conference and delivered remarks as a guest speaker at the main forum, "Innovation Ecosystems: Building People-Centred Sustainable Skills Systems."

Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Uhan, President of WorldSkills International, attended and addressed the opening ceremony. They noted that the Chinese government’s long-term commitment to cultivating skilled talent has effectively empowered economic and social development, and has made significant contributions to advancing the global skills agenda and youth development. Skills development has become a priority for governments worldwide, and all parties expressed readiness to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning with China, making skills a vital bridge for win-win cooperation. Around 1,900 representatives from around the world attended the opening ceremony.

The WorldSkills Conference ran alongside the 48th WorldSkills Competition, held from September 22 to 27 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), with more than 1,400 competitors from over 70 countries and regions competing in 64 skill events. The Conference, held from September 23 to 25 under the theme "Shaping a Skills-Driven Future," brought together government leaders, policymakers, international organizations, the education sector, global industry representatives, and young people to discuss pressing international issues including youth employment, skills transformation, industry-education integration, and AI and the green economy.

The main forum was moderated by Nozipho Tshabalala. Fellow panelists included Yan Qinghui, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security of China; Mario Nava, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion; Hao Bin, Assistant Director-General for Enterprises at the International Labour Organization; Nicola Bauer, Vice President of Global Product Development at Festo Didactic; and Leyla Valiyeva, representative for the Middle East and North Africa region of the WorldSkills Champions Trust.

The invitation to speak at the main forum of the WorldSkills Conference is a recognition of NeutechGroup’s long-standing exploration in industry-education integration and digital talent development. Going forward, the Group will continue to work hand in hand with governments, universities, industry enterprises and international organizations to drive innovation in skills systems and help more young people realize their dreams and light up their futures through skills.