In a festive atmosphere, 53 students and apprentices were honored on Saturday as the best in their field at the annual DM in Skills, held at the Dyrskuepladsen in Roskilde. The event, which attracted nearly 60,000 visitors over three days, was described by SkillsDenmark as a “skill festival,” where vocational education programs were celebrated. The competition, which also serves as a platform to showcase the many career opportunities within crafts and trades, saw the participation of 279 youth from across Denmark. They competed in 47 different disciplines, from auto painting to waiters, with the best being rewarded with gold medals.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was present to award the medals and delivered a speech highlighting the importance of craftsmanship, especially in light of the recent fire at the Børsen in Copenhagen. “Many of us Danes were genuinely saddened to see cultural heritage go up in flames. Perhaps right there, many of us realized what it means when some are skilled craftsmen,” she said. The 53 winners of the DM in Skills now have the opportunity to represent Denmark at the upcoming EuroSkills in Herning next year, where they will compete against some of the best young craftsmen from across Europe.
Søren Heisen, chairman of SkillsDenmark, expressed great satisfaction with the event and emphasized how DM in Skills serves as a catalyst to inspire more young people to choose a vocational education. “DM in Skills has truly become a festival. A skill festival, where vocational education programs and the skilled and ambitious tradesmen we are lucky to have are showcased,” he said. The event concluded with a call to all young people to consider a future in the many exciting and challenging trades that Denmark has to offer.