ILO and JPMorganChase spotlight skills partnership in China at the WorldSkills Conference 2026

Shanghai, China (ILO News) – The WorldSkills Conference 2026, held under the theme "Shaping a skills-driven future", took place from 23 to 25 September in Shanghai, alongside the 48th WorldSkills Competition. Around 60 ministerial-level officials and 2,000 representatives from governments, international organizations, businesses and industries and TVET institutions took part in a series of sessions exploring how skills development can respond to changing economies and create widened opportunities for people around the world.

As a conference coalition partner of the WorldSkills, the International Labour Organization (ILO) played an active role through its participation in the high-level plenaries, technical panel sessions and the international organization booth exhibition, fully demonstrating its extensive expertise and achievements in skills development.

At the Opening Plenary ‘Innovation ecosystems for TVET: Building human-centred sustainable skills systems’, the ILO Assistant Director-General for Corporate Services Bin HAO highlighted that skills systems are the foundation of decent work and social justice. They must be inclusive by design – innovation matters as much as ensuring no one is left behind.

© ILO

© ILO

Skills systems are the foundation of decent work and social justice. To deliver on that promise, they must be inclusive by design – innovation matters as much as ensuring no one is left behind.

Bin HAO, ILO Assistant Director-General for Corporate Services

On the Panel ‘Industry as a partner: Public-private partnerships (PPP) for better skills development’, ILO’s long-standing partner JPMorganChase shared the partnership on ‘Quality Apprenticeship and Lifelong Learning in China’ Project as a successful example of promoting sustainable and inclusive skills systems through PPP. Rita CHAN, Co-Senior Country Officer for China at JPMorganChase presented how this partnership has been delivering results at scale. Since 2019, the two phases of the project have developed and localized technical guides, rolled out related methodologies to local governments, enterprises and vocational institutions and upskilled over 1,400 officials, TVET teachers, enterprise HR managers and trainers. More than 110,000 apprentices and workers benefited from project activities and measures. The project has been featured in the ILO’s global Guide for Policymakers on Quality Apprenticeships Recommendation (R 208). Ms. Chan highlighted that effective collaboration between the industry and the public sector can expand opportunities for workers while driving innovation, competitiveness, and inclusive economic growth.

© ILO

© ILO

We believe that effective collaboration between industry and the public sector can expand opportunities for workers while driving innovation, competitiveness, and inclusive economic growth. Our long-term partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in China demonstrates the practical and lasting impact of this model.

Rita CHAN, Co-Senior Country Officer for China, JPMorganChase

The sharing formed part of the ILO's broader contribution to the WorldSkills 2026, which featured 1,385 competitors from 68 countries and regions competing across 64 skills in Shanghai. Looking ahead, the ILO and its partners will continue to support China's efforts to advance skills development and lifelong learning — ensuring that the momentum generated in Shanghai translates into decent work for all.