The Skills Games 2027 year opened wonderfully with a live opening broadcast
21.8.2026
The event year for Skills Games 2027, the major vocational education and training event, which includes the Abilympics Helsinki 2027 competition and the Finnish national Taitaja competition, was opened this week, August 19, in an enthusiastic atmosphere at Helsinki City Hall. The live opening broadcast was followed by hundreds of viewers, and at several educational institutions people gathered together in larger groups to watch it.
The opening broadcast was hosted by Maria Ekroth, CEO of Skills Finland, and Tuula Antola, Director of the Espoo Region Education and Training Consortium Omnia, and was held in Finnish.
“The heart of this event is all of us together: students, teachers, professionals, partners, and members of the Skills Games team,” Maria Ekroth said in her opening remarks.
“When each and every one of us contributes our own skills, ideas, and ability to collaborate, we can create something truly unique and unforgettable.”
Everyone has the right to show their skills
The broadcast provided information about the Skills Games mega-event in May 2027, with greetings delivered by, among others, the network of over 20 organizing institutions as well as Abilympics competition director Katri Pokkinen and Taitaja competition director Thomas Vasenius.
The broadcast also included an impressive video greeting from Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz, in which he emphasized the importance of the vocational skills competitions and the entire event: everyone has the right to show their skills, vocational skills deserve visibility, and the event builds a more inclusive society.
Their experiences and thoughts on the significance of competition activities were also shared by 2026’s Taitajien Taitaja, Elina Lohi, and 2023 Abilympics silver medalist Milla Tiira.
Among the broadcast’s highlights was also an interview with sign-language hip-hop artist Signmark, who shared his inspiring and empowering story. The broadcast culminated in the premiere of the music video for the official Skills Games 2027 theme song, “Together We Make History”. The song is created by Signmark and Olli Hartonen.
A journey toward a historic major event
Ahead lies a unique, unforgettable, and meaningful Skills Games 2027 event year full of vocational skills and invaluable collaboration between many different parties.
“Let’s be proud and happy together about the opportunity to take part in this event and succeed together,” Tuula Antola summed up.
Skills Games
The Skills Games mega-event, held from 10 to 13 May 2027 in Helsinki, brings together two major vocational skills competitions: Abilympics Helsinki 2027, the world championship for professionals with special needs, and Taitaja 2027, the Finnish national championship for young skilled professionals.
The event features over 80 skills and more than 800 competitors. The event aims to attract over 120,000 visitors.
Skills Finland is responsible for organising the overall Skills Games event and the Abilympics competition, while Omnia will coordinate the Taitaja competition. Over 20 vocational education and training providers are involved in delivering the event. The Ministry of Education and Culture supports the organisation of both competitions.
