In May 2016 Portugal will stage the national occupation championships in Coimbra.
These championships are aimed at young people between 17 and 25, who have completed or are undertaking a vocational education and training course. They aim to demonstrate the individual level of competence, rigor and range of techniques and tools for each profession in the competition, with performance evaluated against strict criteria and technical requirements, established by international juries of highly qualified experts (trainers, professionals, and entrepreneurs).
The championships also aim to assess the effectiveness of vocational training provided by different operators, and simultaneously induce increased quality, innovation and creativity in both teaching and learning. The championships take place every two years with best scoring participants in a selection phase gathered to compete for the title of national champion in each profession. The champions of the national phase apply to participate in the European and world championships of occupations, organized respectively by WorldSkills Europe and WorldSkills International.