The supporters and sponsors of EuroSkills 2021 and the WorldSkills Europe member countries were thanked at a series of emotion-filled farewell events, at which the official illustrated book about the major event was also launched.

With almost 400 competitors from 22 countries, EuroSkills 2021 – the European Skills Championships, with competitions in a total of 48 skills and trades – turned Austria into a European hotspot for young, skilled professionals in September 2021. Tens of thousands of fascinated visitors and exceptional young, skilled professionals made the European Skills Championships one of the most unique events in the whole of Austria, and the young competitors were given the showcase they deserve. “EuroSkills was not only an exciting event for 30,000 or so visitors – it also served as a crucial, initial spark to make vocational training an even more attractive prospect. This EuroSkills spirit is something we want to carry forward into the future,” said a delighted Josef Herk, EuroSkills initiator and President of the Styrian Economic Chamber, at one of the final events at the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce. At that national-level event, which was attended by government ministers and eminent representatives from the business world, the supporters and sponsors were thanked with speeches and a video tour through EuroSkills. The official book on the European Skills Championships was also launched: the heroic accomplishments of the 400 or so competitors are now contained in its 248 pages and summarised in over 1,000 pictures. The illustrated volume includes every detail of the successful event held under the Austrian banner. The book offers fascinating reports and background information on the challenging preparations, the staging of the big show, the feats of organisation and, of course, the champions and participants.

Praise for solidarity

This gathering of personalities from politics and business in the Austrian capital was not the only farewell event. The workshop managers responsible for the contests were also presented with certificates and medals at an official closing ceremony at the Schlossberg in Graz, to thank them for their hard work and dedication.

The final event in the three-part EuroSkills ‘farewell tour’ was held by the General Assembly of the umbrella organisation, WorldSkills Europe, in the Polish city of Krakow, where a comprehensive account of last year’s EuroSkills event was presented. With thousands of fans and 400 skilled professionals from 22 nations attending over the three days of EuroSkills, the organisers succeeded in achieving a masterpiece – especially in view of the pandemic conditions, which were particularly challenging in the run-up to the mega-event. The participating countries in turn positively acknowledged the achievements of the Styrian hosts, with EuroSkills Managing Directors Angelika Ledineg and Harald del Negro receiving standing ovations from the national delegations of decision-makers. “We were able to thank the management and board of WorldSkills Europe and the representatives of the 30 EuroSkills countries for putting their faith in us, which we managed to live up to with a celebration of vocational excellence and a unique showcase for the ‘young, skilled professionals’,” emphasised the two managing directors in unison. “They believed in Graz, supported us wholeheartedly and welcomed us warmly and appreciatively into their community from the very beginning. With WorldSkills Europe, we are united not only by our shared mission, but also by a superb sense of solidarity characterised by mutual appreciation. Without this level of cohesion, EuroSkills 2021 in Austria would not have been possible. At the crucial moment, when the event was once again in doubt, the majority of the countries got behind us, supported us and motivated us. For this, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks. A big thank you also goes to the Gothenburg 2016 and Budapest 2018 teams: the expertise they shared was immensely important to us. Above all, this applause and a huge thank you also goes to all the sponsors, all the supporters, all the workshop managers, the entire organising team, as well as all the volunteers … everyone, in fact, who made this event possible,” said Ledineg and del Negro. “In conclusion, we can say with full conviction that each and every one of you contributed to the successful implementation of EuroSkills in Graz, a unique event that enabled us to identify and recognise the best young, skilled professionals in Europe in 2021. EuroSkills 2021 will be remembered as a wonderful, friendly and – most definitely – a very special mega-event.”

WE ARE SKILLS