On December 23, 2025, the 2025-2026 National Industry Vocational Skills Competition – the 2nd National Leather Industry Vocational Skills Competition (Leather Goods Designer) National Finals – and the 25th “Genuine Leather Mark Cup” China International Bags and Leather Goods Design Competition Finals jointly concluded in Huadu District, Guangzhou, known as the “Leather Capital of China.” For the first time, these two national-level competitions achieved deep integration in their final stages, establishing a comprehensive talent selection platform based on “skills as the foundation and design as the guide,” showcasing the highest levels of industry skills and design, and attracting widespread attention from the industry.
This dual competition focused on practical application and innovation, comprehensively testing the overall quality of industry talent. The vocational skills competition, driven by industry needs, attracted 140 participants from six competition regions, including Guangdong and Henan, comprised of enterprise technical backbones, university teachers and students, and independent designers, who competed through a combination of theoretical examinations and practical assessments. The practical component, comprising 70% of the competition, required participants to complete a leather goods design from conceptualization to pattern making within 240 minutes, thoroughly testing their craftsmanship and creative feasibility.
The concurrently held "Genuine Leather Logo Cup" Design Competition, themed "Renewal," included two sub-categories: "Urban Pastoral" and "New Space Era," exploring the symbiotic relationship between nature and technology. The competition received over 800 entries from more than 40 universities, companies, and independent designers, with 79 imaginative and technically feasible designs advancing to the finals. The competition consistently promoted the sustainable philosophy of "acting for good and coexisting with nature."
This joint competition achieved deep synergy in organizational model, review mechanism, and social impact, showcasing five highlights: efficient organization and coordination, establishing a unified coordination and support mechanism for resource sharing; improved breadth and quality of participation, covering a complete talent spectrum and reflecting the growth of the industry's talent pool; scientific and fair review, sharing an authoritative judging team and implementing anonymous review and information management; themes closely aligned with industry trends, focusing on key directions such as sustainable development; and highlighted platform value, building a bridge between universities, enterprises, and the industry chain.
At the awards ceremony, relevant department heads stated that they will continue to optimize the industry ecosystem, support talent entrepreneurship and development, and create a global hub for leather and leather goods innovation and talent. The industry association summarized that the joint competition is an innovative practice of collaborative talent cultivation within the industry. Facing the demands of new-type productivity development, it is necessary to accelerate the cultivation of multi-skilled "new craftsmen" and deepen the integration of industry and education to build a comprehensive talent system.
In the future, the organizers will continue to improve the joint competition mechanism, broaden talent development channels, gather innovative momentum, and help the Chinese leather and leather goods industry move towards a new stage of greater resilience, creativity, and international competitiveness.
