Capsule laid in Kazan to construct WorldSkills Arena exhibition centre

A capsule was on Wednesday ceremonially laid at the future WorldSkills Arena exhibition centre in Kazan. Attendees were acting Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, WorldSkills International President Simon Bartley, WSI Vice President for Technical Affairs Stefan Praschl, Russian Deputy Education and Science Minister Alexander Klimov, and others.

Kazan bids for hosting the 2019 WorldSkills Competition, whose purpose is to promote the prestige and standards of vocational training around the world. With this in view, a large exhibition centre Kazan Expo WorldSkills Arena will be built in Tatarstan’s Laishevo region in 2018. In case Kazan bids successfully, the facility will be competition’s main venue.

“Today we start the construction of an exhibition compound that will meet every present-day requirement,” Rustam Minnikhanov said in welcoming remarks. "Hopefully, you will shortly see a beautiful building here that will draw the attention of many international and Russian companies willing to hold large events.”

The project’s investors were Sviazinvestneftekhim and Kazan’s Mayoral Office, acting Tatarstan President said.

The construction is scheduled to begin in 2016 and be completed in the first quarter of 2018. Afterwards, the facility will house test events, WorldSkills 2018 and 2019 regional and national championships.

WSI President Simon Bartley said Russian government realised that younger people needed to be qualified in various fields. “Regardless of where I am, I each time see that our future is in the hands of younger people. I am convinced our future is in good hands,” he enthused.

The facility is built on a space of 169,000 square metres. To hold the championship, an additional 100,000 square metres may be required.

WorldSkills International is an international movement whose purpose is to promote working occupations and raise the qualification standards around the world.