Updates in Finlands representation in international skills organisations
Finland actively participates in the background organisations of the WorldSkills, EuroSkills, and Abilympics competitions. There have been changes in Finland’s representation in international competition organisations during the autumn.
Official and Technical Delegates represent Finland in the international organisations WorldSkills International (WSI) and WorldSkills Europe (WSE).
This autumn, there have been changes in Finland’s delegates. In WorldSkills, Teija Ripattila has been appointed as Finland’s new Official Delegate, replacing Marja Vartiainen. For the EuroSkills competitions, Maria Ekroth has been appointed as the new Official Delegate from Finland.
In addition to WSI and WSE, Finland is also represented in the International Abilympic Federation (IAF), the organisation behind the Abilympics competitions. Petteri Ora has served on the IAF Executive Committee since 2021 and currently holds the position of Vice Chairperson. This title is always held by the board member from the country hosting the next Abilympics competition. A new board will be elected during the next Abilympics, which will take place in Helsinki in 2027.
Delegate responsibilities
Each member country of WSI and WSE appoints an Official Delegate and a Technical Delegate to represent their country in official matters of the organisations. The member country decides who to appoint.
The Technical Delegate (TD) is a member of the Competition Committee and participates in the General Assembly, the competition preparation week, and the competition event itself. The Technical Delegate communicates important information from the international organisation to Finland’s experts and competitors, such as the technical description of the skill, competition rules, and safety guidelines.
The Official Delegate (OD) represents their country in the Strategic Development Committee and the General Assembly, where they have voting rights. The General Assembly decides on matters such as the rules of the associations and competitions, the acceptance of new member countries, and the strategic direction of international competitions.
Delegates share current updates from meetings with their national member organisation (in Finland, Skills Finland) and other national stakeholders.
Finland’s current representatives
- Teija Ripattila, Finland's Official Delegate, WorldSkills
- Hannu Immonen, Finland's Technical Delegate, WorldSkills
- Maria Ekroth, Finland's Official Delegate, EuroSkills
- Vesa Iltola, Finland's Technical Delegate, EuroSkills
- Petteri Ora, Board member, International Abilympic Federation
More information
Teija Ripattila, teija.ripattila@skillsfinland.fi, +358 40 455 2020
Hannu Immonen, hannu.immonen@turku.fi, +359 50 594 8260
Maria Ekroth, maria.ekroth@skillsfinland.fi, +358 40 707 9114
Vesa Iltola, vesa.iltola@gradia.fi, +358 40 341 5671
Petteri Ora, petteri.ora@kiipula.fi, +358 50 300 3764