Team Finland aims for success at the European Championships EuroSkills – “A first step toward something even greater”

Press release August 25, 2025

Team Finland 2025. Photo: Anni Ketola / Skills Finland.

EuroSkills is Europe’s largest event for vocational education and excellence, expected to gather around 600 young competitors from over 30 countries. The competition will take place from September 9–13, 2025, at the MCH Messecenter Herning exhibition center in Denmark. Last Friday, Finland’s national team gathered for a send-off event where supporters had the chance to meet the competitors.

Competitions advance vocational education

Finland’s goal in participating in EuroSkills is not only to win individual medals but also to develop vocational education and excellence more broadly, and to strengthen European cooperation in vocational training.

“Participating with a strong national team is also part of a broader societal goal. Finland aims to develop and highlight young people’s vocational excellence. These competitions offer an opportunity to test and refine skills at a European level, supporting the development of individuals, working life, and the entire education system. They also make vocational skills visible, especially from the perspective of excellence”, said Kati Lounema, Director of the VET Department at the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, in her speech at the send-off event.

The Competition can open many doors

For the competitors, participation means honing their skills to the highest level. All 18 team members have a background in vocational studies and have trained under the guidance of multiple experts.

Aapo Paunonen, representing Finland in CNC milling, spoke on behalf of all competitors at the send-off event. He has experience from the national Taitaja competition and last year’s WorldSkills. Paunonen sees his fellow competitors as key contributors to the development of vocational education.

“For many of us, this is a first step toward something even greater. This experience can open doors to international job opportunities, further studies, training roles—or to becoming the people who inspire the next generation and advance our field and vocational education,” Paunonen said.

“That’s why it’s important to say out loud: vocational education is an incredibly valuable path to the future. It’s not a backup option. It’s a powerful, practical, and future-building route. Every skilled individual deserves the chance to shine, and that’s why we must invest in vocational education—ambitiously, persistently, and with respect.”

Skills competitions and Team Finland

• The EuroSkills Competition will next be held in Herning, Denmark, from September 9–13, 2025. The competition includes 38 skills representing various vocational professions—from carpentry to welding, and from cooking to landscape gardening. A total of 600 competitors from across Europe will participate. The event’s theme is Skilled for a Greener Future, emphasizing the role of vocational education in the green transition.
• Finland will participate with an official national skills team consisting of 18 competitors. Finnish competitors will compete in 16 skills.
• Additionally, 19 Finnish experts will participate as judges and specialists. These experts are often vocational teachers, and competition training is carried out in cooperation between vocational education and working life.
• In addition to EuroSkills, Finland also participates in the WorldSkills and Abilympics competitions. The next WorldSkills will be held in 2026 in Shanghai, and the Abilympics in 2027 in Helsinki. The Finnish national skills championships, Taitaja, are held annually.
• The national skills team is assembled and sent to competitions by Skills Finland in cooperation with its partners.

Lisätietoa

Finnish Competitors and Experts (pdf)

Read more on Team Finland and the Competition (skillsfinland.fi)

Interviews: Communications Manager Katja Katajamäki, katja.katajamäki@skillsfinland.fi, +358 40 732 0691