This June, the 12-months countdown is on for the WorldSkills 2027 National Championships and Skills Show – Australia’s biggest vocational education and skills excellence competition… writes WorldSkills CEO Trevor Schwenke
Held every two years, in 2027 the event will be hosted by the South Australia Government at the Adelaide Showgrounds from 3 to 5 June.
The road to nationals
Over three days, high-achieving competitors from across the country will showcase and benchmark their skills on the national stage, competing against their industry peers with the chance to represent Australia internationally in 2028.
Qualifying for the event is already underway, with regional competitions running in every state and territory throughout 2026.
The National Championships are the focal point of the WorldSkills Australia two-year cycle and represent the biggest stage on which to celebrate skills excellence among the next generation of apprentices, trainees and students.
A massive stage
The scale of the National Championships is hard to describe without actually witnessing it.
The Adelaide Showgrounds floorspace is 17,000m2 and we are expecting 700-plus competitors across 67 skills in front of more than 25,000 spectators. Online, social media and streaming should achieve in excess of 20,000 views.
With skills ranging from those valued by established sectors such as bricklaying and automative mechanics, through to those coming to the fore in IT and additive manufacturing, the full breadth of Australian vocational education and training (VET) will be on display.
Powered by support
But what’s almost more impressive is the amount of support we receive to make the event happen.
We rely on around 250 volunteers as judges, experts, and general event support. Plus, we also need hairdressing models, restaurant patrons, even volunteers to have their beard trimmed or receive a massage!
Similarly, we have dozens of companies and businesses providing support via the supply of equipment and materials for the competitors to utilise as they put their skills to the test.
By the numbers
Amongst the long and varied list of requirements, we have partners providing us with 12 tonnes of bricks, 500 eggs and 50 welding machines.
The range of support we receive from across the VET sector and all parts of the broader business community is testament to the shared recognition of the value of the National Championships in developing skills excellence and the benefit it delivers for the whole Australian economy.
