Photo: Lasse Skov, SkillsDenmark
For the first time in EuroSkills history, an organized guide programme was established with support from project funds from the Central Denmark Region. A total of 270 young guides from local vocational institutions accompanied student groups through the competitions and exhibition stands.
This year, 270 young guides were recruited from two institutions in Central Jutland: Herningsholm and SOSU Midtvest. As part of their education, they volunteered to guide classes safely through the halls, competitions, and stands. The aim was to give students an overview and the confidence to explore the many opportunities, which at first glance might otherwise feel overwhelming.
The guide program was created to make the EuroSkills Herning 2025 experience more meaningful for visiting students. The guides were trained to help them gain a better understanding of everything they saw and experienced during their visit. The visual approach was central: craftsmanship should not only be described but experienced up close.
The guides also helped place EuroSkills into a historical perspective for the young visitors. One of the key messages was the importance of craftsmanship for society, which became especially evident after World War II when many European countries faced the challenge of rebuilding.
The perspective remains just as relevant today, as craftsmanship plays a central role in the green transition and continues to deserve recognition, prestige, and clear career pathways. The guide program helped students understand what they saw in a broader context that reached beyond a single day’s visit to EuroSkills Herning 2025.
One of the visiting student groups met Claus Larsen on Friday morning outside the south entrance of MCH Messecenter Herning, where he was ready to introduce the competitors and their skills.
The students received a short introduction from Claus about the many pathways within vocational education. He challenged common preconceptions and explained that both technical and social professions require not only hands but also minds.
Reflecting on his own experience when facing his first choice of education, Claus said:
“We only received a brief description of the different vocational programs in class, and it was difficult to truly understand what they involved. That is why it is so valuable to present the professions to students in a way where they can get close to some of the world’s very best.”
At the final stop of the tour, in front of the Pâtisserie and Confectionery competition, the structure of the contest was explained before the students continued their exploration of EuroSkills Herning 2025 on their own.