A public promotion event for the 48th WorldSkills Competition brought free immersive craft workshops to Putuo District on July 25 and 26.
 
The roadshow landed at Shanghai Zhenru MixC MAX, featuring three official WorldSkills competition categories including sugar art, baking and beauty. All interactive sessions were open to residents free of charge ahead of the major global competition.
 
The 48th WorldSkills Competition is set to kick off in Shanghai on September 22. With less than two months before the opening ceremony, ongoing promotional activities aim to popularize vocational skills culture among citizens. Following its debut session, the campaign's Putuo stop leveraged a busy commercial complex to bring professional craft experiences closer to local communities.
 
The event launched themed experience zones for different skill disciplines. On July 25, national WorldSkills team instructors guided participants through full sugar art production procedures. Attendees boiled transparent syrup, poured liquid sugar and cooled handmade mixtures to create lollipops with the official WorldSkills logo. A beauty experience station offered daily makeup trials and nail art DIY activities.
 
The baking workshop opened on July 26, allowing residents to knead dough shape pastries and craft mini pretzel keychains under the instruction of competition athletes. 

Open to participants of all skill levels, the free event drew families, neighborhood residents and young people across the district.
 
"I learned a new skill and get to take my handmade work home as a souvenir," said Li Xuanru, a local resident who joined the sugar art workshop.
 
Putuo has steadily boosted vocational skill training since April. It adopted an on-demand training model covering 14 lifestyle improvement programs and 15 career advancement projects. The district's third vocational skills competition runs from June to October, focusing on people's livelihood support, digital finance and community governance.
 
Local vocational schools have achieved fruitful results in talent cultivation. Shanghai Caoyang Vocational and Technical School participated in the promotional event. Its exhibition service and auto body repair programs rank as Shanghai brand majors while Chinese cuisine and new energy vehicle maintenance are city level high-quality majors. A recent school graduate Zhao Fang was selected as a candidate athlete for the auto body painting event at the upcoming WorldSkills Competition.
 
The school integrates professional curriculum standards with WorldSkills competition criteria to connect courses certificates and competitions.
 
"Skill based career development relies on proficient techniques and lifelong learning abilities," said Qin Li, deputy director of the school's academic affairs office. "Students master practical skills for employment and further education."
 
WorldSkills promotional campaigns will continue touring major commercial zones and public spaces before the opening to integrate vocational skill culture into urban daily life across the district.