What is SkillsUSA?

SkillsUSA is your golden moment to connect with valuable professional opportunities that will enable you to become career-ready! SkillsUSA is a national partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together. This partnership allows you to receive a direct connection with business and industry leaders and allows partners a connection to career-ready students!

What do you get from SkillsUSA?

SkillsUSA chapters complete activities focused around six categories called the SkillsUSA Program of Work. Community Engagement, Financial Management, Leadership Development, Partner and Alumni Engagement, Workplace Experiences, and Advocacy and Marketing. You can also gain recognition opportunities from the local to national level. Future success in life and the workplace. Life-changing connections.

Why join SkillsUSA?

Got skills? A SkillsUSA membership opens the door to incredible opportunities.
Have fun by learning new things, meeting new people, and visiting new places!
Develop your leadership potential. Showcase your skills in competitive events and earn recognition. Serve your community by applying your skills through service projects. Connect with business and industry partners who can help you explore your future. Get ahead academically and financially by applying for SkillsUSA member-only scholarships. Take part in diverse experiences and meet new people through travel opportunities.

My Experience

My name is Trina Raflk and I was a sophomore when I first joined SkillsUSA. I started in December 2021 for welding sculpture. I made a deer skull two days before the district contest. I won first place and reserved a gold medal and some welding clothes. In January 2022 I wanted to make a bigger and better sculpture so I decided to make a ram skull. For that, I need to make a binder with many pictures of me making it, descriptions of what I was doing, and many other things. I made the skull within about two weeks and the binder in three days. The next competition was regionals held in February, and I placed first. Then with the same project, I went to the state in April. The state is a much bigger experience than all the others. It lasted two days and there were many vendor shows in the building, with big popular brands, colleges, and jobs. I took first place again and I was given the opportunity to go to Atlanta, Georgia for nationals in June. My family, a family friend, and I stayed for a week. There were so many fun things to do, right around our hotel were an aquarium and coca cola world. Just for taking a test, I won some tools and shirts. There were many vendors there and I won a hat there too. Each state has its own pin, and it was a very popular thing to go around and trade pins and try to get as many as you can from all the different states. As for the competition I took 5th place out of 41 people. I had an amazing time and I will be doing it until I graduate high school. I received so many job opportunities and college offers. I believe this is an amazing opportunity for anyone who wants to do anything hands-on work.

Some of the contests you can join include

A Friends experience
My friend Katrina was with me during my first SkillsUSA experience. She was a senior last year and was in the welding competitions. The things she liked most about Skills was the chance of showing off her skills, learning new skills, and meeting new people. Her favorite memory is winning gold at regionals when she thought she wasn’t going to place. And going to state. She enjoyed the challenge and is hoping to join SkillsUSA for the college level this year.