This vocational training competition, which began in Spain in 1946 with the aim of consolidating a more solid training model closely linked to the real needs of the business world, promotes young talent and technical excellence.
Confederación Moda España, together with its member associations, is sponsoring SpainSkills 2026, the national vocational training competition, funded by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, and Sports and co-funded by the European Social Fund. The Fashion Technology specialty, which will be held from February 24 to 28 at IFEMA Madrid, will bring together the best vocational training students and recent graduates, previously selected in regional competitions in all communities and in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
SpainSkills has become a benchmark for measuring the technical level of vocational training in Spain. For five days, students, teachers, and companies will come together to discuss technical excellence, innovation, and the updating of professional standards in different productive sectors. More than just a competition, it is a meeting point between the education system and the business world.
The origins of this initiative date back to 1946, when the need for skilled labor prompted the creation of a more robust vocational training model that was more closely linked to the reality of production. A year later, the first skills competition was held. Over time, the movement took on an international dimension and today involves the participation of dozens of countries. Spain is part of this global network and promotes the championship through the Ministry and the Directorate General for Vocational Training, in coordination with the autonomous communities.
In this edition, hundreds of young people will compete in 31 official categories and three demonstration categories. Among them is “Fashion Technology,” a discipline that focuses on one of the most important industrial and creative sectors of the Spanish economy. Participants will have to tackle, individually, a comprehensive project ranging from collection development and pattern making to marking, cutting, sewing, and finishing prototypes based on a size defined in the organization’s technical specifications.
In this edition, students will use a model provided by THE 2ND SKIN to create a garment, design a collection, model it on a mannequin, and produce a complete prototype. The jury will evaluate technical aspects such as pattern transformation and industrialization, draping, marking study, quality of finishes, mastery of technical language, as well as safety and cleanliness in the work process.
For the fashion industry, these types of competitions raise awareness of specialized professions that require precision, technical knowledge, and creative ability, profiles that are increasingly in demand by companies.
In the words of Carmen Torres, secretary general of Confederación Moda España, “In a context where generational change is essential, SpainSkills represents much more than a competition; it is proof that vocational training is a path to excellence for our sector. The fashion industry needs technical, qualified, and committed talent, and here we will see who will be the professionals joining our companies in the coming years.“ Carmen Torres also emphasizes that ”supporting this initiative means investing in the real connection between the classroom and the workplace.
SpainSkills is held every two years and will also serve to select the Spanish representatives for WorldSkills 2026 (Shanghai) and EuroSkills 2027 (Düsseldorf), events that will once again put young Spanish professionals on the international stage.
