The German national team looks back on a strong World Cup in Shanghai

Around 1,400 top professionals from over 70 countries and regions competed at the WorldSkills Competition 2026 in Shanghai. Accordingly, the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai was filled with cheers and applause at the awards ceremony for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, the World Championship of Skills. The winners of the 64 disciplines have now been determined.

Team Germany, with 36 professionals competing in 31 disciplines, performed exceptionally well in a highly competitive international field: The German national team achieved a total of 22 awards, including 2 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 3 bronze medals, as well as 15 Excellence Medals for outstanding performance and a silver medal in the special Speed ​​Programming competition.

Tobias Kelz from Bavaria won gold in the "Furniture Carpenter" category and was overjoyed: "Winning gold here and being world champion feels amazing! I haven't planned a party at home yet, but I could start thinking about it soon."

"It's such an indescribable feeling. All the hard work has paid off! We thank our company, families and friends who supported us along the way," said Lennard Weitzmann and Marc-Aurel Spalek from Saxony, bronze medal winners in the "Landscape Gardener" category.

Dr. Catrin Hannken, Head of the Department for Vocational Education and Lifelong Learning at the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, visited the event to see for herself: "Germany is represented at WorldSkills with an impressive breadth of participants, highly motivated young professionals who compete in many disciplines with great competence and passion. They are beacons and ambassadors for vocational education: their achievements demonstrate the high value of good training for our country and can inspire other young people to pursue this path. Especially given the challenges in the apprenticeship market, this sends an important signal: vocational education remains one of the central pillars of our country."

Tim Arnold and Jakob Distler from Bavaria also won gold in the "Reinforced Concrete Worker" category. Silver went to Florian Dorer from Baden-Württemberg in the "Carpenter" category. Lucas Rother from North Rhine-Westphalia and Luke Finn Zamponi from Hesse, who competed as a team in the "Cyber ​​Security" category, received bronze. They were also awarded the "Best of Nation" medal as the best German participants. Elias Sichler from Baden-Württemberg also won bronze in the "Water Technology" category.

Michael Hafner, CEO of WorldSkills Germany, says: "With our highly qualified participants, Team Germany represented Germany on an outstanding international stage at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. Our young skilled workers held their own against strong competition, especially in a host country like China, which consistently promotes top-level vocational performance. The competition demonstrates that our dual vocational training system provides a strong foundation. Our shared goal remains to further develop this quality to the international forefront and to provide Team Germany with the best possible support in this endeavor."

"After an intense week of competition, I am particularly proud of Team Germany as a unit: Our top professionals have bonded and demonstrated their skills with great team spirit. With a total of 22 awards, our team has proven its international capabilities in numerous disciplines. In a demanding international competitive environment, this is a result we can be proud of, and one that reflects the current conditions in Germany. For me, in addition to the number of medals, the overall performance of our team and the resulting international ranking are crucial," says Hubert Romer, Managing Director and Official Delegate of WorldSkills Germany.

Germany achieved 11th place in the medal standings. This once again places Team Germany among the most successful nations in the international comparison.

The success of the German national skills team would not have been possible without the support of the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the volunteer national coaches, and the professional associations and business partners.

Following the successful WorldSkills 2026, the focus is already on the next challenges. In 2027, Germany, together with Luxembourg, will host the EuroSkills European Championships of Skills. Around 150,000 visitors and 800 skilled workers from across Europe are expected in Düsseldorf.

The 49th edition of WorldSkills will take place from November 15 to 20, 2028, in Aichi, Japan.

The German National Skills Team's participation in WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 is a collaborative effort between WorldSkills Germany e. V., industry associations, and business partners. It is supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Furthermore, Mewa, as a presenting partner of WorldSkills Germany, is the official partner and outfitter of the German National Skills Team for the WorldSkills Competition. The participants in the disciplines of "Baker," "Cyber ​​Security," and "Industrial Electronics" also receive support from the Neumayer Foundation. The patron of the German National Skills Team for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 is Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.