Nova Friburgo Student to Represent Brazil at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026
Ryana Pacheco, a 19-year-old student from Firjan SENAI Space of Fashion in Nova Friburgo, has qualified to represent Brazil at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. This event is recognized as the world's largest competition for vocational education and technical skills, scheduled to take place in China from September 22-27, 2026. Ryana earned her spot by developing an innovative sportswear project featuring a sensor that counts exercise repetitions, impressing judges during the selection process. Her achievement places her among a select group of Brazilian representatives, with only six Firjan SENAI students from Rio de Janeiro having reached the international stage in the past five years. In Shanghai, Ryana will compete in the Visual Merchandising category, focusing on product display and presentation strategies. She aimed to integrate technology and creativity to highlight the garment's unique features, explaining that the challenge was to create a technologically advanced display that conveyed the clothing's value beyond being a basic item. Competitors face practical challenges revealed only at the event, necessitating rigorous technical and behavioral training. Ryana credits her formation at Firjan SENAI and the support of her instructor, Lunanda Motta, for her success. The accomplishment was celebrated at a recent ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, where the Firjan SENAI Space of Fashion in Nova Friburgo was also recognized as the best school in Rio de Janeiro state. Additionally, 41 other Firjan SENAI students received medals for their performance in the state-level qualifiers for the 2028 competition. WorldSkills, held biennially, serves as a global showcase for emerging industrial and technical talent, with Brazil fielding one of its largest delegations in 2026, participating in all 64 disciplines alongside host China. Seventy countries are expected to be represented.
Ryana Pacheco's qualification for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 highlights the growing intersection of technical education, creative industries, and wearable technology. The competition's structure, which presents practical challenges without prior notice, emphasizes adaptability and applied problem-solving skills crucial in rapidly evolving fields like fashion tech and visual merchandising. This event serves as a significant platform for showcasing how vocational training can foster innovation, potentially influencing future curriculum development and industry investment in talent pipelines. As the global economy increasingly integrates AI and advanced manufacturing, such competitions underscore the importance of nurturing specialized technical expertise alongside creative and entrepreneurial thinking to meet future workforce demands.
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