BEIJING — China has started its preparations for the 45th WorldSkills Competition to be held in Kazan, Russia in 2019, a senior human resources official said on Aug 27.

All preparation work must be done well, and the goal of the Chinese team is to continuously lead the competition with outstanding achievements, Tang Tao, deputy head of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said at a pep rally.

He said the Chinese delegation will participate in all events scheduled for Aug 22, 2019.

In late June, China held a series of trials in Guangzhou and Shanghai to select qualified candidates to make up the Chinese team.

Last year, the Chinese delegation, the largest at the event, won 15 gold, seven silver, and eight bronze medals during the 44th WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, ranking the highest participating team in both the number of gold medals and overall scores.

Tang called for the country to place more value on and provide more support for the work of skilled workers, learn from advanced technology and experiences concerning skill development, and add new impetus to the training of skilled personnel.

WorldSkills dates back to 1950 when it was first held in Madrid, Spain. The biennial event seeks to increase the awareness and prestige of vocational and blue-collar professions. China has so far attended four such events.