Skills competitions develop important skills for working life

Maiju Korhonen

• Leading Specialist, Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation (2022–), previously for example Secretary General of the VET students’ organisation The Union of Vocational Students in Finland – OSKU 2014–17.
• Member of the Board of Skills Finland 2015–17 and from 2022 onwards, member of the Board’s Working Committee since 2022, and Vice Chair as of the beginning of 2025.
• I admire top expertise, but I am not a hands-on doer myself at all. On the other hand, I am quite a good lobbyist!

A competitor in the Pâtisserie and Confectionery skill, Jenna Kattilakoski, working on her competition task at EuroSkills 2023 in Gdansk. She won bronze. Photo: Paulina Latek-Przybylska / WorldSkills Europe.

Business and industry in Finland already have decades of experience in skills competitions. The Confederation of Finnish Industries’ predecessor, the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers, was among those who established Skills Finland and brought the competitions here from abroad.

The purpose of the competitions has been, and still is, to raise the appreciation of vocational education and training. The food sector skills I represent are favourites among audiences, when bakers and confectioners do their best in the competition tasks. The EuroSkills competitions also include the skill Butchery.

For companies in different industries, it is important to be involved in developing top expertise in their field and encouraging young professionals to test their skills against others. Many companies in the food sector act as sponsors, raw material suppliers, judges or members of steering groups in the competitions.

Top professionals and top specialists are both needed. In my opinion, international competitions have an important role, because they increase Finnish professional pride and the perception of the high level of our competence.

It is important to see the top and aim for it, even if you do not always reach it. At least you have tried and given it your all.

Many professions have long traditions of internal contests within the sector, as do food sector professions, such as bakers and confectioners.

Butchery is one of the skills in the EuroSkills competition. Photo from the 2023 Gdansk competition. Photo: Paulina Latek-Przybylska / WorldSkills Europe.

The connection to working life in competition tasks must not be compromised. Tasks must be developed continuously so that they correspond to real working life situations and vocational competence requirements.

Companies are proud of their employees who have taken part in skills competitions, because through the competitions they gain up-to-date competence, new ideas, and experience in coping with work under pressure and in front of an audience. For example, around 250,000 people visited the WorldSkills competition in Lyon, France, in 2024.

Judging competition tasks is precise work. In the photo, Bakery judges at WorldSkills 2024 in Lyon. Photo: WorldSkills.

Companies also use skills competitions as a recruitment channel. Taitaja finalists typically receive job offers, not to mention international competitors. In working life, participation in competitions is a real asset in a CV.

In addition to the competition performance itself, just preparing for the competition already develops many skills that are otherwise hard to demonstrate. These include for example stress tolerance and coping with pressure, communication skills, perseverance, problem-solving and adaptability, as well as performing in front of an audience.

You cannot know your own limits unless you test them a little – competitions often provide students with experiences of surpassing themselves, which are also valuable in working life. On the other hand, learning to deal with disappointments is also an important part of competitions.