WorldSkills São Paulo was held from 11 to 16 August 2015 in São Paulo, Brazil. UNESCO and UNESCO-UNEVOC contributed to and facilitated the involvement of several UNEVOC Centres in the stimulating programme that was attended by over 1500 people from more than 70 countries. Running in parallel to the WorldSkills competition, the WorldSkills conference provided the opportunity for leaders in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to discuss current global skills issues.

UNESCO-UNEVOC Activities

Part of the WorldSkills Conference, on August 12 UNESCO-UNEVOC organised a panel discussion discussing the challenge various education systems around the world face concerning imbalances between supplying vocational training and the demand for skills from the production system. Attended by approximately 200 participants, the engaging panel discussion addressed three main dimensions, namely: (1) why skills for work and entrepreneurship are important to the post-2015 agenda; (2) what are the key inter-relationships between skills and other key development sectors; and (3) which skills development strategies, policies and programmes, and what forms of work-based learning, are most effective in addressing the economic, social, environmental, and political priorities of the new sustainable development agenda.

The panel included:

• Keynote speaker: Borhene Chakroun, Chief of the Youth, Literacy and Skills Development Section, UNESCO;
• Panellist: Shyamal Majumdar, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC;
• Other panellists included senior representatives from the OECD, the European Commission and the German Federal Institute for VET (BIBB), UNEVOC Centre in Germany.

The same day UNESCO-UNEVOC and SENAI, one of the UNEVOC Centres in Brazil, also organised a networking session and evening reception. The session was attended by over 100 delegates, including senior members of SENAI, and was an occasion for them to get to know more about UNESCO-UNEVOC’s activities and to network with TVET professionals and stakeholders.

UNEVOC Network Meeting

On 13 August, 15 UNEVOC Centre representatives met to discuss progress in TVET in their respective countries and recent activities of their Centres. Also attended by Borhene Chakroun (UNESCO HQ) and Astrid Hollander (UNESCO Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean), the Network Meeting additionally provided the opportunity to hear from UNESCO and UNESCO-UNEVOC about the latest international developments in the field of TVET and work carried out by UNESCO and UNESCO-UNEVOC.

More information and photos about the WorldSkills competition, conference programme as well as panel discussion can be found here:

• http://www.worldskillssaopaulo2015.com/en/
• http://www.worldskillssaopaulo2015.com/en/events/conference/12-august-2015-future-trends/
• http://www.worldskills.org/media/photos/sao-paulo-2015/