Interview Jos de Goey, Chairman of ESPO - European Skills Promotion

"If you have skills, you have a future"

EuroSkills: What's the main goal of a competition like EuroSkills?

Jos de Goey: The main goal of organizing an international competition like EuroSkills is that we would like to motivate young European VET-students to show their talents. In these hectic economic times it is important to draw the attention on the fact that if you have skills, you have a future. Skills will give young people better future opportunities and with that the possibility of finding life fulfilment. The event will put a group of selected young European skilled talents in the spotlight and will inspire a lot of other young people to do the same. EuroSkills will be the climax of a lot of national activities throughout Europe were only the best of a country are selected for the EuroSkills event. This chain of activities creates in each participating country a big focus on skills. This focus on talented skilled young people is important because without doubt they will play an important role in Europe’s future economic success.

ES: Euroskills was organized for the first time in Rotterdam in 2008. How do you evaluate this event? It was a success?

JG: To organize EuroSkills for the first time in 2008 was not easy, but it appeared to be a big success. This success was reached for a big part due to the support from the European Commissionaire with whom we succeeded in getting nearly every European country involved in the event. After the event the attention towards the recognition of skills improved in the Netherlands and also on a European level. In the recent years there is a higher focus on skills which gives all stakeholders involved working in the skills sector a better position in reaching their goals. This is important because skills form the backbone of our economic society.

ES: What are your expectations for the 2010’s edition?

JG: From an operational point of view I think the event will be better organized in Lisbon then it already was in Rotterdam. Skills Portugal/IEFP has got a lot of experience in organizing national competitions that I am very confident that the

event in December will be a big success. However, due to the present economic climate I hope that all European members of the European Skills Organisation will find ways to participate in the event and I think that  every stakeholder should invest in our young European talents and with that motivate them for the future.

ES: The Euroskills event is structured according to the concept of seeing, doing and informing. Can you explain why?

JG: Seeing, doing, informing is based on a method to support young people in making a career choice for a skilled trade. Young visitors are inspired by seeing the competition and competitors giving their best to become the next European skills champion. With organizing try-a-trade activities at the same time, young visitors are challenged to test their talents themselves. Finally information on education and career possibilities are given to the young visitors in what way they can find their skills pathway. The main objective is that by giving this support to young people, career counselling is given in an attractive way. It is a proven method which already successfully works on different national and international levels. Worldwide, thousands and thousands of young people are in this way yearly supported in their career choice.

ES: Portugal and Lisbon will be good hosts for this year’s edition?

JG: Definitely! This year we celebrate the 60th birthday of international skills competitions. The organisation now called WorldSkills started in Portugal and Spain in 1950 which makes Portugal, Lisbon an excellent place to run the second edition of EuroSkills. Recently we decided even to work closely together with WorldSkills International to mutually focus on the importance of skills in Europe and the rest of the world. Finally I would like to say that Portugal is renown for its hospitality and friendly people. Personally I feel always very welcome in Portugal and I am sure that this will be the same with the all guest who will come to Lisbon. Together with my Portuguese colleagues and friends I hope to welcome you myself at the International Fair of Lisboa on the 9-12th of December this year.

Message from Helena André - Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity


"Congratulations Lisbon"

Lisbon should be congratulated for being chosen as the European capital that will host thousands of young people, judges and experts who will participate in the European Professions Competition/EuroSkills Lisboa 2010, the largest international event involving vocational training ever held in Portugal.

The fact that Portugal was chosen to organize EuroSkills Lisboa 2010 is well deserved recognition for its founding role in the international professions competitions together with Spain in 1950, the country where the first international competitions were held with 24 competitors and 12 professions. It is also a recognition of the active role played in improving its education and training systems.

Sixty years later we are commemorating this occasion with Portugal hosting this important competition in which hundreds of young professionals from all over Europe will demonstrate their skills in a competitive environment. Without a doubt it will be an event that values vocational training and involves all of its main stakeholders to show other young people, teachers, educators, businesspeople and society in general the importance of vocational training, whether it be for personal life projects or the growth of a competitive society.

I wish all the contestants, judges and members of the organization the best of luck so that EuroSkills Lisboa 2010 can reach all of its targets and be a memorable event.