This past month, Mechanical Hub took its maiden voyage to the SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta. As first-time attendees, we were blown away by the size, scope and level of competition happening during “Skills Week.” SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) is the largest annual gathering of America’s future skilled workforce, and the event brought together more than 19,000 attendees, including middle school, high school and college/postsecondary students, teachers, school administrators and business partners.
“Starting in 1965, SkillsUSA is a career and technical student organization that’s recognized by the federal Department of Education, federal Department of Labor, and we are all about creating and showcasing America’s future workforce,” says Brandon Hudson, Director of Workforce Development, SkillsUSA. “We want to make sure that we are providing opportunities for our students to gain social capital, economic mobility, to meet their future employers, and we also want to grow in order to help meet the skilled labor gap.”
As the No. 1 workforce development organization for students, SkillsUSA will celebrate the achievements of America’s top career and technical education (CTE) students and highlight the critical role of career-ready skills to address the nation’s workforce development challenges.
“The thing that really stood out to me was the passion, professionalism, and pride these students bring to their crafts. Whether they were competing in plumbing, HVAC, welding, construction, or countless other disciplines, the commitment to excellence was unmistakable,” says Tim Ward, Mechanical Hub Media. “After spending time with these young men and women, I left SkillsUSA with a renewed sense of optimism. There is tremendous hope for the next generation of skilled trades professionals, and they are more than ready to lead our industries forward.”
SkillsUSA was more than an event; it was an inspiring movement. Recognized as a must-attend workforce development destination event, the conference features the highly anticipated SkillsUSA Championships. Competing in various disciplines, all contestants were vying for top billing and a chance to compete on the world stage at a future WorldSkills International competition event TBD. As a matter of fact, the SkillsUSA previous winners are to compete this year in Shanghai, China. Also, as first-time visitors, here are some things we learned that we had no idea about before touching down in the A-T-L:
- How Big? — Held at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta, the event filled three halls at the convention center, or 1.8 million sq. ft. or equivalent to 31 football fields. Now that’s big!
- How Many Competitors? — More than 6,800 students—each a past state champion—competed for national gold, silver and bronze medals in his or her respective discipline.
- How Many Skills Categories? In addition to what we call traditional trades within the construction industry—plumbing, HVAC, welding, roofing, electrical, carpentry, fabrication—there were a total of 115 hands-on workforce development committees, which included disciplines such as culinary arts, transportation, cosmetology, to even drone flying.
- How Long? — Incredibly, SkillsUSA has served over 15 million members since its founding in 1965. According to its website, www.skillusa.org, SkillsUSA is the #1 workforce development organization for students, empowering them to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. SkillsUSA represents more than 444,000 career and technical education students and teachers in middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide.
- Who Collaborates? — With more than 200 industry partners from leading companies and educational institutions in the exhibition hall, it’s a hub of opportunity where students and industry leaders connect, collaborate and inspire the next generation of skilled professionals.
“One of the most impressive things I witnessed at SkillsUSA was the incredible level of collaboration taking place behind the scenes. Industry partners, manufacturers, contractors, associations, educators, and workforce development organizations all came together with a shared mission: creating meaningful career pathways for the next generation of skilled professionals. It’s a powerful example of what can happen when an entire industry rallies around a common goal,” says Ward.
Mechanical Hub was busy during the event recording its Appetite for Construction podcast, which featured two former contestants and winners—Charles Goede for the Plumbing Category & Tristan Coates for the Carpentry Category. Click below for the first podcast.
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