Toronto, Ontario -- In just over a year, Skills Canada's champions will be heading over the Pacific to represent the True North at WorldSkills.
The 48th WorldSkills competition is scheduled to take place in Shanghai, China, from September 22 to 27, 2026. More than 1,500 competitors from around 85 countries and regions will compete in contests across 60 skill areas, including autobody repair. It will be hosted at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre, a 1.47 million square metre building built by China’s ministry of commerce and the Shanghai municipal government in 2015.
In the autobody repair competition, elite young tradespeople from around the world will be pushed to the edge of their technical ability. Working at pace and under pressure, they will be expected to restore damaged panels, weld components, measure tolerances to the millimetre and reassemble structural elements with absolute precision. They’ll need to demonstrate mastery over high-strength steels, aluminum and composites while diagnosing and repairing damage with the accuracy demanded in today’s collision repair industry.
In the automotive refinishing contest, competitors will prepare, prime, colour-match and spray panels to factory finish quality. They’ll face exacting standards in gloss, hue and texture—any flaw, no matter how minor, will be noted. With the clock ticking and judges watching closely, they must draw on deep technical knowledge, fine motor skills and an artist’s eye to succeed.
While it isn't yet known how many countries will compete in the 2026 event, there are expected to be more teams in the auto body program than ever before. At WorldSkills in Lyon in 2024, the autobody repair competition featured participants from 24 countries, while the automotive refinishing category included 23 competitors.
Other skill areas to be contested include carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, electrical installations, mobile robotics, graphic design, web development, restaurant service, welding, hairstyling, beauty therapy, CAD, mechatronics, fashion technology, floristry, cooking, landscaping, aerospace technology, industrial mechanics, information technology, joinery, masonry, painting and decorating, refrigeration and air conditioning, site carpentry and many others.
WorldSkills was founded in 1950, with its first competition held in Madrid, Spain. It has grown into a biennial global event showcasing trades excellence from every corner of the world. In recent years, it has been hosted in Calgary, Canada (2009), São Paulo, Brazil (2015), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (2017), Kazan, Russia (2019) and Lyon, France (2024). Shanghai 2026 will mark its 48th edition.
Skills Canada, founded in 1994, runs an annual national competition where young tradespeople vie for the chance to represent the country at WorldSkills. The 2025 national event will be held in Regina, Saskatchewan.
