Portugal achieves best-ever world skills ranking with Shanghai medals
Portugal has secured its highest-ever position in the WorldSkills world ranking, finishing fourth overall after winning seven medals across seven skill areas at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China. The Portuguese delegation returned home with one silver medal and six Medallions for Excellence.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro praised the performance on social media, writing: "Portugal rises to 4th place in the World Skills Ranking. The best classification ever!" He thanked the seven young competitors and those who supported them, including trainers and families.
President António José Seguro also issued a congratulatory note, published on the official Presidency website. The President highlighted the event as an opportunity to valorize professional training and technical skills in a labour market undergoing transformation through technology and innovation.
Who won medals for Portugal
The silver medal went to Loris Sgroj and Diogo Pinto in industrial robotics, both trained at CENFIM's Amarante centre.
Six other competitors received Medallions for Excellence, awarded to participants who exceed the international standard in their skill:
• Leonor Silva — Hairdressing
• Duarte Serra and Daniel Silva — Mobile robotics, trained at CENFIM Trofa
• Dmitry Zhivitsa — CNC machining
• Nelson Ribeiro — Industrial control
• Marco Malheiro — Welding, trained through CENFIM
Diogo Botelho and Simão Alves, who competed in industrial mechatronics at CENFIM Torres Vedras, received the "Best of Nation" distinction — awarded to the best performer within the Portuguese team.
How Portugal compares to European neighbours
By the average medal points ranking, Portugal finished sixth with 1.29 points. France placed fourth at 1.47 points with four gold medals, while Germany finished eleventh at 1.03 points. France fielded 32 competitors; Germany 31. Portugal sent seven competitors and won medals in every category entered.
The competition in Shanghai brought together roughly 1,400 young people from more than 70 countries across 64 skill areas. Host nation China topped the medal table for the fifth consecutive edition.
What this means for professional training in Portugal
Portugal is investing €1.5 billion — with European Union funding — to ensure 55% of secondary students enrol in high-demand vocational tracks. The country currently sits around 40%.
Separate from the WorldSkills results, the government has announced €500 million for 402 specialised technology centres in schools nationwide, financed through the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Education Ministry has also added €33 million to professional course funding.
Professional training in Portugal is coordinated largely through the Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional, which oversees the CENFIM network — a key partner of WorldSkills Portugal.
For young people considering vocational paths, the results signal that Portuguese training can reach international excellence. For employers, the medals demonstrate that graduates from Portuguese programmes meet world-class standards in fields from robotics to welding.
