Armenia has won its first-ever medal at the WorldSkills International competition, with Armenian contestant Arsen Armenakyan receiving a Medal of Excellence at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
The 48th WorldSkills International competition has concluded in Shanghai, China, where Armenia was represented by a national team competing in three skill categories: Cooking, Mobile Applications Development, and Fashion Technology.
Arsen Armenakyan, a graduate of the Yerevan State College of Vocational Education, earned the Medal of Excellence in Cooking under the guidance of expert coach Arbi Gharakhanyan. The achievement marks the first medal won by Armenia in the history of its participation in WorldSkills competitions. Armenia has taken part in the international competition six times.
Armenakyan was also named the Armenian national team’s Best of Nation.
Other members of the Armenian team also posted strong results. Aramayis Hayrapetyan, a student at the Yerevan State College of Informatics who competed in Mobile Applications Development, finished just 14 points short of a Medal of Excellence. Louise Zakaryan, a student at the French-Armenian Vocational Training Center competing in Fashion Technology, was 37 points short of the distinction.
The Armenian representatives were selected based on the results of a national skills competition.
Participation in WorldSkills is significant not only for the competitive achievements of participants and experts, but also for international professional cooperation, exchange of experience, and the study of new approaches in vocational education and training.
Armenia has been a member of WorldSkills International since 2012, represented by the National Center for Vocational Education and Training Development, which coordinates the country’s membership and related activities.
Armenia was also represented by an official delegation at the competition. Siranush Meloyan, Head of the Vocational Education and Training Policy Development and Strategy Division at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, participated as an official observer.
A three-day conference on vocational education and training was also held as part of WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. Discussions focused on skills development, the impact of artificial intelligence on educational processes, the development of vocational education in response to changing labor-market demands, the expansion of international cooperation, and other issues related to the VET sector.
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