EuroSkills Herning 2025 opens with a jubilant Opening Ceremony
With an unforgettable Parade of Nations, live music, and youthful energy, the ninth edition of the European Championship of Young Professionals was officially declared open this evening in Herning, Denmark (9 September 2025).
The centrepiece of the EuroSkills Herning 2025 Opening Ceremony was the Parade of Nations. This year almost 600 skilled young professionals from 32 countries proudly marched onto the stage at Jyske Bank Boxen Arena, cheered on by thousands of spectators. Team Leaders and Competitors from all participating nations each enjoyed their moment of celebration in front of an enthusiastic audience.
Over the coming days, these talented young people will compete for the chance to become Best in Europe in 38 different skills and trades.
During the evening, guests heard from Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, EuroSkills Herning 2025 Chairman, Mattias Tesfaye, Danish Minister of Children and Education, and Ben Blackledge, Chair of the Board of WorldSkills Europe.
In his opening address, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Chairman of the EuroSkills Herning 2025 Board, said: “For the next three days, Herning will not only be an arena for competitions, it will be a stage, a stage where skills meet passion, where young dreams meet hard work. And where 600 of Europe's most talented young people will show us what dedication really looks like.”
Ben Blackledge, Chair of the Board of WorldSkills Europe, added: "Whether you are a Competitor, an Expert, a teacher, or a visitor, your presence here shows that vocational education and training is not just a pathway – it is a driver of innovation, inclusion, and resilience. The skills you demonstrate in Herning this week are the same skills that will help Europe create more accessible workplaces, and design solutions for a sustainable future."
Ceremony highlights
In addition to the spectacular Parade of Nations, Ceremony hosts Josefine Høgh and Christian Degn set the tone for the Competition by focusing on the people at the heart of the event. Throughout the evening, they spoke to Competitors, preparing to begin their contests the following day, and with the Experts who had guided and supported them throughout the past years, giving the audience an insight into the excitement and anticipation among the participating teams.
Audiences were also treated to a welcome video from the setup days, shining a spotlight on the dedication of Experts, the Secretariat, volunteers, technical staff, Sponsors, and all those whose hard work makes the event possible.
Continuing the celebrations, the stage came alive with a performance by Danish pop artist Malte Ebert, known for his heartfelt songwriting and uplifting live shows.
An important part of the evening was the taking of the Competitors’ and Experts’ Oaths. Four representatives stepped forward to deliver the pledge in their native language: Experts from Serbia and Luxembourg, and Competitors from Denmark and Finland. Together, they embodied the spirit of unity, respect, and excellence at the heart of EuroSkills.
What is EuroSkills?
Held every two years and organised by WorldSkills Europe together with 33 Member Countries, EuroSkills Competitions bring together hundreds of young people under the age of 25 to compete for the chance to become the Best in Europe in their chosen areas of professional expertise.
Competitors represent the best of their peers and are selected to compete at EuroSkills after taking part in national competitions held in their respective countries.
At EuroSkills, Competitors are challenged to complete a test project or series of tasks and projects within pressured timeframes and under strict codes of competitive practice over three days. The projects demand complex technical knowledge and capabilities that the Competitors are learning and mastering through their studies and workplace training.
A total of 526 WorldSkills Europe Experts from industry and education are accompanying the Competitors at EuroSkills Herning 2025 this week. The Experts work with the Competitors for up to two years in advance of the Competition, providing additional training to ensure the young people have the skills and techniques needed to perform to a world-class level of excellence. The Experts are also responsible for creating the test projects, which are each designed according to the highest industry-specific occupational standards.
EuroSkills Herning 2025 is open to the public and admission-free.
Visitors to the Competition will be able to witness the young professionals showcasing their skills as well as having the opportunity to try hands-on job-related skills at the 12 ‘Try-a-Skill’ areas featured throughout the Competition halls.
Photos
All official photos from the Opening Ceremony are available to view and download on WorldSkills Europe’s SmugMug photo library.
Let the games begin
EuroSkills Herning 2025 begins tomorrow (10 September 2025) at the MCH, Messecenter Herning. The Competition runs over three days, ending on 12 September.
The event will conclude with a Closing Ceremony at the Jyske Bank Boxen, on 13 September, where awards including Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals will be presented to the highest scoring Competitors.
The most coveted accolade at EuroSkills is the Jos de Goey Best in Europe Award which is presented to the Competitor (or group of Competitors) who achieves the highest overall score out of all the hundreds of Competitors across all 38 skill competitions.
For more information about EuroSkills Herning 2025, visit https://euroskills2025.com/.
EuroSkills Herning 2025 was organised by WorldSkills Europe in partnership with the Ministry of Children and Education of Denmark, Herning Municipality, the Central Jutland Region, WorldSkills Denmark, and the country’s leading employer and labour organisations.
EuroSkills in Denmark
It has been many years since the WorldSkills movement arose out of the need for more skilled workers and the development of their skills. The shortage of skilled workers is once again significant and threatens our welfare. The reasons today might be different - but the agenda is still the same. At the same time, we now face another challenge, the climate crisis.
The movement to raise the profile and recognition of skilled people and showcase the importance of skills must therefore be kept alive and carried on through community and efforts across national borders. And this time, with strength and self-confidence, to also carry the ambition that vocational education and training can help us rise to the global challenge of creating a sustainable future for our planet.
Our goal is that, in 2025, Denmark will host the most ambitious and modern EuroSkills Competition ever for WorldSkills Europe Member Countries, ensuring the best conditions for the young people competing and to convey a spirit of ambition, professionalism and competition in a way that inspires everyone who visits the event.
Skills competitions have been around since the 1950s. Now, Denmark has been given the honour and the responsibility to carry the torch forward in Europe, leading the way towards more sustainable competitions – taking a stance for both the future of our planet and for the next skilled generations who will help shape it.