Client: WorldSkills Ireland 2026
Category: Education, Skills & Apprenticeships / Government & Industry Partnership
Market: Ireland
Services: PR and Communications Strategy, Media Relations and Press Office, Ministerial and Stakeholder Communications, Regional Media Campaign
Background
Every September, thousands of secondary school students across Ireland face one of the biggest questions of their lives - what comes next?
WorldSkills Ireland exists to help answer it. A government and all-industry initiative, it works to tackle Ireland's skills shortage by showing young people the breadth of practical and technical career options available to them.
The flagship event returned to RDS Simmonscourt in Dublin in September for its sixth year. Free to attend, the three-day event brought students and parents face to face with employers, educators, training providers and some of Ireland's most talented young apprentices and students.
At its heart were 31 live National Skills Competitions, with more than 160 finalists working against the clock and in full view of the crowds. From diagnosing faults on HGVs to serving a five-star dining experience, and from plastering and bricklaying to defending against a live cyber attack, visiting students didn't just hear about careers. They watched them happen.
The event is backed by an extensive network of partners, including the Government of Ireland. RNN Communications has been WorldSkills Ireland's PR and communications partner for all six editions.
This was not simply about filling a venue. It was about changing how a generation thinks about its future.
RNN Communications was tasked with leading PR and comms, from the launch announcement to the final post-show releases. The brief called for a campaign that would drive attendance from schools nationwide and reach parents and guidance counsellors as well as students. It also needed to challenge outdated perceptions of apprenticeships and skills-based careers, and give meaningful visibility to the Government, ministers and industry partners who make the event possible.
Just as importantly, behind every competition was a student or apprentice with a story worth telling. RNN made sure that every one of the 160+ finalists was celebrated in their local media.
Six years of partnership meant RNN Communications brought a deep understanding of the event, its stakeholders and its audiences. We delivered an integrated campaign across every phase – from the launch right through to naming the winners of the WSI competitions.
Pre-show activity centred on building national momentum. We developed the campaign messaging and prepared all news releases, including media partner content for The Irish Times, showing students what skill-based careers actually look like in practice.
We managed ministerial communications for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, and the Minister of State for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills, Marian Harkin TD. We also coordinated messaging with sponsors and partners.
The standout element of the campaign was its regional reach. RNN created individual news releases for every one of the 160+ competitors and placed them with local media. This turned a single national event into 100+ local stories and carried WorldSkills Ireland into newspapers and onto radio stations in communities the length and breadth of the country.
During the event, we managed media attendance, handled media queries and supported ministerial and stakeholder engagement.
After the show, we shared news of the competition winners across each of the skills sectors, targeting both local media and relevant trade and industry publications. This gave the winners the recognition they deserved, while extending coverage of WorldSkills Ireland beyond the event itself.
The event welcomed 30,000 students from 300 schools across Ireland. The campaign secured national coverage in The Irish Times, Irish Examiner, alongside regional coverage across the country, with every one of the 160+ finalists featured in their local media
Six editions on, WorldSkills Ireland is still one of our favourite shows to work on, thanks to a brilliant team and partners who are a pleasure to work with. We're already looking forward to the next one.
