WorldSkills denies the Faroe Islands membership

The Faroe Islands were not admitted to WorldSkills International because membership is limited to sovereign states that belong to the United Nations, public broadcaster KVF reported.

Despite the setback, the visit to Shanghai was successful, said Bárður á Lakjuni, the Faroese minister who attended the international vocational skills event as the islands’ official representative.

Á Lakjuni said the visit was a step towards giving young people from the Faroe Islands access to international vocational competitions under their own flag. He attended with Skills Føroyar, a partnership between labour-market organisations, vocational schools and others, to promote Faroese vocational education.

Skills Føroyar also aims to hold competitions in the Faroe Islands and make vocational education more visible and appealing to young people. WorldSkills International works to develop vocational skills and strengthen vocational education, including through its world championship competitions.

Denmark’s Ministry of Education supports the Faroese application for membership.