On February 4, during the Preparation Week for the 48th WorldSkills Competition (WorldSkills Shanghai 2026), the launch event for the "One School, One Team" (OSOM) initiative was held in Shanghai, where the official pairing list of participating countries (regions) and institutions was announced.

Among the distinguished guests attending the event were Francis Hoang, President of WorldSkills; David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills; YANG Jiaying, Executive Deputy Director General of the Shanghai WorldSkills Competition Executive Bureau and Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau; officials from relevant departments of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security; and ZHAO Zhen, Deputy Director General of the Shanghai WorldSkills Competition Executive Bureau and Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. As one of the paired institutions in this initiative, SIFEC was represented by LYU Wenjun, Party Secretary of SIFEC, and DING Miao, Project Management Officer of the International School. 

The 48th WorldSkills Competition will be held in Shanghai, China, from September 22 to 27, 2026. As the world's premier vocational skills competition, WorldSkills has, since the 39th edition, followed the established international practice of promoting the OSOM initiative during the preparation and hosting period. Through this program, competing teams are paired with local schools to foster skills presentation, cultural exchange, and dialogue among young people. 

Under the pairing arrangement, SIFEC has been matched with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Attending the launch event on behalf of Egypt were Technical Delegate Ms. Amira Nael and Official Delegate Ms. Gehad Amer, while Mr. Nasser Almindil attended as Technical Delegate for Saudi Arabia. After the event, the representatives engaged in friendly exchanges and held preliminary discussions on their respective programs and competitors. All parties expressed strong expectations for the in-person exchange activities planned for September this year. 

Since the 45th WorldSkills Competition, SIFEC has been recognized for four consecutive editions as Shanghai's training base for competitors in the Fashion Technology skill. It has also served as the training institution for Shanghai competitors in selected national events in Fashion Technology and Garment Pattern Making at the first, second, and third National Vocational Skills Competitions. SIFEC has therefore played an important role in cultivating and delivering high-level skilled talent. At the same time, the institution has actively undertaken event organization work and accumulated extensive experience in serving and supporting international competitions and exchanges.

The OSOM initiative of the 48th WorldSkills Competition provides a valuable platform for young people in the global skills community to learn from one another and deepen mutual understanding. Taking this opportunity, SIFEC will continue to promote international exchange and cooperation in the field of skills development and further broaden the global outlook of its faculty and students. Meanwhile, by drawing on its professional strengths in Fashion Technology and its extensive WorldSkills service experience, SIFEC will actively contribute to the related work of this competition and support deeper mutual learning between Chinese and international skills cultures, helping make WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 an exceptional, inspiring, and friendly event.