Kemppi becomes Premium Sponsor of WorldSkills Europe to support the next generation of welders

Kemppi has become a Premium Sponsor of WorldSkills Europe, strengthening its long-term commitment to supporting young welding talent and promoting vocational skills excellence across Europe.

As part of the partnership, Kemppi will support the organisation of the Welding competition at EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027, the 10th edition of Europe’s largest vocational education and skills excellence event. Taking place from 22–26 September 2027 at Messe Düsseldorf, the event is expected to bring together around 800 young professionals competing across 50 vocational disciplines, with approximately 150,000 visitors expected from Germany and abroad.

For Kemppi, the partnership comes at an important time for European industry. Welding remains one of the essential skills behind manufacturing, shipbuilding, infrastructure, energy, transport, and defence. At the same time, Europe is facing a growing shortage of skilled labour. According to the European Labour Authority, welders and flame cutters are among the most widespread shortage occupations in Europe, identified in at least three quarters of reporting countries. Cedefop has also highlighted metal and manufacturing occupations, including welders and metal sheet workers, among the most widespread vocational shortages in the EU.

“Kemppi is proud to sponsor WorldSkills Europe in welding because the future of our industry depends on skilled young professionals. Welding is a craft that combines precision, knowledge, and pride in workmanship,” Kalle Suurpää, CEO, Kemppi, said.

“By supporting EuroSkills Competitions, we want to spark curiosity, celebrate hands-on talent, and show young people that welding is more than a trade — it is a craft where skill, technology, and creativity come together to build the future,” Suurpää continued.

The partnership was announced at the WorldSkills Europe General Assembly 2026, held in Helsinki, Finland, on 11 June. Kemppi CEO Kalle Suurpää and Tarja Runsten, Head of Global Marketing at Kemppi, attended the event and met with representatives from the WorldSkills Europe Board and the EuroSkills Düsseldorf 2027 leadership team.

WorldSkills Europe works to raise the profile and recognition of skilled young professionals across Europe. Through its EuroSkills Competitions, the organisation brings together industry, education, and young talent to promote excellence in vocational skills and inspire future career paths.

For Kemppi, the partnership also reflects the company’s wider mission to advance welding expertise. As welding technology develops, the role of the welder is also evolving. Today’s welding professionals work with advanced equipment, digital tools, automation, data, and quality management systems. Competitions such as EuroSkills help show the next generation that welding is a modern, technical, and future-facing career path.

Distribution: Media, www.kemppi.com

About Kemppi:

Kemppi is a leader in the arc welding industry since over 75 years. Committed to boosting the quality and productivity of welding by continuous development of the welding arc, Kemppi is working for a greener and more equal world. It supplies products and digital solutions for professionals from industrial welding companies to single contractors. The usability and reliability of the products is the key guiding principle. It operates with a highly skilled partner network covering over 70 countries to make its expertise locally available. Headquartered in Lahti, Finland, Kemppi employs close to 600 professionals in 16 countries and has a revenue of 149,4M EUR in 2025.