Emil Gubaydullin: “Preparations for WorldSkills Kazan 2019 have reached final stage”

WorldSkills Kazan 2019 kicks off in a month, after intense and diverse preparatory efforts. The event is aimed at promoting professionalism, craft, and vocational occupations the global economy needs so much. During the press conference at the TASS news agency, it was noted that Russia was fully ready to host the Competition and preserve its legacy.

The Competition will gather together teams from 63 countries and regions of the world, with more than 1,300 participants under 25 to compete for medals at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre.

Emil Gubaydullin, WorldSkills Kazan 2019 Project Executive at the Directorate for Sports and Social Projects, told that the preparations for the Competition had reached the final stage.

“The preparations have been in line with the schedule, and in less than a month, we are expecting the first competitors to arrive. We have been actively cooperating with WorldSkills International and, of course, the Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia) Union. Final efforts have been underway to get the main venue, Kazan Expo, fully ready. We have started building skill competition areas. By early August, we are expecting to have the bulk of work completed with only minor aspects left to finalize. I believe that we will be 100% ready for the Competition by 15-16 August,” Emil Gubaydullin said.

The Competition’s Opening and Closing Ceremonies rehearsals are underway at the Kazan Arena Stadium, staged by Igor Krutoy Production Centre (founded by the famous Russian Honoured Arts Worker Igor Krutoy) and directed by the known creator of major events Aleksey Sechenov, member of the Russian Television Academy and Honourable Member of the Russian Academy of Arts.

The show named “The pulse” will describe the milestones in becoming a professional and tell about mastering a craft and aspiring to find one's place in life and answer the fundamental question “What does it mean to be a professional?”

Sophia, the only robot on the planet that has been granted citizenship and passport, will be a special guest at the Ceremony.

In addition to the speakers, the stage will host performances by invited star singers and bands: Yolka, Alexander Panayotov, rock band “Dana Sokolova”, Jukebox trio, Yan Ge, indie band Therr Maitz, and others.

The hi-tech scenery created specifically for the Opening Ceremony will help the director and his team convey the most challenging and incredible ideas of the scenario. Famous VR artists will create breath-taking “live” scenery which will follow the vibe of the episodes taking place on the stage.

“The augmented reality technology will be the distinguishing feature of the Ceremony, for which a dedicated mobile app has been developed. The AR scenes will be synchronized with the real show’s episodes in space and time, and the scenario unfolding on the app will fully depend on what will be taking place on the real stage at the stadium,” Emil Gubaydullin told.

Robert Urazov, Director General of the Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia) Union, named WorldSkills Kazan 2019 “a global skills summit”, with its scale and participants’ quality comparable to those of economic forums at Davos. “In addition to a competition, we have offered the world essential changes in the talent training system,” Robert Urazov stated.

According to Karina Salikova, Deputy Director General of the Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia) Union in charge of federal and international WorldSkills Competitions, the Competition at Kazan Expo may be viewed as a mini-factories' site with workplaces similar to those in real life. A dedicated area will be given to the future professions project, Future Skills.

“WorldSkills International is a movement with a 70-year history, it has embraced transformations and new member countries, but the Competitions still feature traditional professions (turners, welders, milling-machine operators), forming the basis of the economy. But there is another side, the digitalization, it is what we are coming to. Russia proposed adding digital skills to the project as its contribution to the development of the international movement. So these 10,000 square metres will host 25 future skills in the fields of medicine, industry, and agriculture. The area will also have a central “Boiling point” spot where best educational practices will be represented. In other words, this year’s Competition will be a traditional but also a totally unusual one,” Karina Salikova told.

WorldSkills Juniors is another initiative of the host country. Its WorldSkills Junior Team consists of 17 boys and girls aged 12 to 16 from 7 Russian regions. The WorldSkills Junior Team Russia are going to participate in the Competition for the second time, after their debut in Abu Dhabi in 2017.

On its sidelines, the Competition will also host a forum for the global expert community that shapes professional standards to address the real sector’s needs. Ekaterina Loshkareva, WorldSkills International Official Delegate Russia and Deputy Director General for Research and Development of the Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia) Union, told that the Competition’s conference agenda included three main tracks: the WorldSkills Conference, Ministerial Summit (gathering together ministers in charge of talent training), and national track. Change leaders, teachers, vocational school principals, and representatives of universities and business will discuss the presented international practices and decide what projects can be developed and implemented in today’s environment.

Representatives of 63 countries and regions have registered for the conference tracks that include more than 30 sessions with over 50 speakers from 20 countries.

“The conference agenda has been developed jointly with the Conference Coalition, with its members being UNESCO, International Labour Organization, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Global Apprenticeship Network, and International Organization of Employers. International experts have been trying to understand the crucial processes taking place as part of the transformations in the labour market and other even wider areas. That is why the agenda has been divided into three main tracks, addressing changes in technology and economies, society, and the environment, and all three of them will analyze the associated impact on talent training approaches,” Ekaterina Loshkareva told.

Jointly with the Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia) Union and BCG, the national strategic partner of WorldSkills Kazan 2019 ROSATOM conducted the global research “Human resources for the economy of the future” that formed the basis of the international initiative “Mission: talent”. The Chief Human Resources Officer at ROSATOM Tatyana Terentyeva told that the outcomes of the initiative would be presented at WorldSkills Conference 2019.

“We hope it will lay the foundations for a new global model of HR development and management. At ROSATOM’s booth at Kazan Expo, we will organize a business activities area for teens, the Teen Power space. It will offer workshops dedicated to the career and life path choice, an “open-mike spot” (in a TED conference format), lectures, and an opportunity to take part in shooting of a film made by the youth, as well as many other activities aimed at supporting young people in reaching their potential,”, noted Tatyana Terentyeva.

Samsung Electronics, more than a decade-long partner of WorldSkills Russia, joined this year's edition of the Competition as its general partner.

“This year, Samsung Electronics celebrates its 50th anniversary. For its entire history, the corporation has been significantly contributing to education and young talent training by developing its own educational initiatives and supporting global projects. Among our educational initiatives, the long-term support for the WorldSkills Competition is one of the most impressive ones. Samsung Electronics has been the event’s partner since 2007. The WorldSkills movement gives young professionals in Russia and other countries worldwide an opportunity to learn the best global practices in the area of vocational occupations and helps member countries develop their economies. Cooperating with the WorldSkills movement on such a high level is what we particularly value and are proud of at Samsung Electronics,” Sergey Pevnev, Corporate Relations Department Director at Samsung Electronics CIS HQ, highlighted.

WorldSkills Kazan 2019 will take place in the capital of Tatarstan on 22-27 August. Kazan won the right to host the Competition in 2015 having been ahead of other WorldSkills International member countries after voting. Today, the movement has 82 members.

WorldSkills Kazan 2019

The 45th WorldSkills Competition – the main international event of 2019 in Russia – will take place in Kazan on 22-27 August 2019. More than 1,300 Competitors from 63 countries and regions will compete in 56 skills. 

Kazan won the right to host the Competition in 2015 having been ahead of other WorldSkills International member countries after voting. The WorldSkills Russia movement embraces all 85 Russian regions and is one of priority vocational talent development projects. 

Press Office of WorldSkills Kazan 2019 Competition Organizer