Press releases

MINSK, 23 May (BelTA) – Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov has toured one of the premises of the 3^rd edition of the nationwide contest of professional excellence WorldSkills Belarus 2018, BelTA has learnt.

The major venue of the contest is located at the Football Arena. Competitions in IT skills are taking place on the premises of the Falcon Club sports and entertainment complex. The Premier examined the major competition venue and talked to the organizers, experts and partners of the contest.

Andrei Kobyakov visited the section where competitions in the Restaurant Service skill and the Patisserie/Confectionery skill were taking place. He wanted to know if foreign partners are interested in Belarusian workforce - invited independent experts not only evaluate the skills, but also offer internships to contestants.

The Premier moved on to the section where contestants competed in Electronics, Mobile Robotics and Mechatronics skills. Among the experts here are former participants and winners of the national and international contests, which attests to the importance of the competition for improving vocational training.

Experts of the Construction and Building Technology sector confirmed that the efforts to meet the WorldSkills International standards can give rise to new disciplines at Belarusian educational institutions and improve the quality of training taking into consideration the current labor market demands.

The majority of spectators flocked to the area where participants competed in the Hairdressing and Floristry skills.

Andrei Kobyakov noted that contestants competing in the Automobile Technology skill have an opportunity to improve their qualifications using Geely cars. The Premier was shown other premises where up-to-date equipment of Belarusian and foreign make is used. This year over 100 companies are taking part in the contest directly.

Andrei Kobyakov was also invited to visit the JuniorSkills contest premises. This contest is meant for schoolchildren aged 10-13 and 14-17. They compete in 10 skills; the majority of nominations have to do with information technologies. Rector of the National Institute of Vocational Education Valery Golubovsky informed that over 2,000 schoolchildren toured the premises of the contest on the first day of the competition.

The 3^rd edition of the nationwide contest of professional excellence WorldSkills Belarus 2018 is taking place in Minsk on 21-24 May. Contestants are competing in 37 skills grouped into major sectors, including Construction and Building Technology, Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Information and Communication Technology, Transportation and Logistics, Social and Personal Services, Creative Arts and Fashion. Over 300 young people aged 22-24 from all over Belarus and from Russia and Kazakhstan are taking part in the contest. The results of the contest will be announced on 23 May. The winners of the national contest will represent Belarus in the world championship WorldSkills Kazan 2019.

WorldSkills is an international not-for-profit movement. Its aim is to enhance the prestige of skilled work and develop skills and excellence worldwide. WorldSkills championships are held every two years in various countries.