The SkillsUSA Nebraska delegation of 280 members, including 179 Middle School, High School and College/Technical contestants, traveled to Atlanta Georgia to attend the 60th annual National Leadership & Skills Conference on June 24 – 28, 2024. Fifty Nebraska students achieved gold, silver, and bronze medallions along with prizes and scholarships. Another 44 Nebraska students also placed in the top ten of their respective career competition.
Brock Davis of Papillion LaVista South High School and the SkillsUSA Nebraska 2023-2024 State President was elected as a 2024-2025 National Officer. Brock is just the 2nd Nebraska High School member to be elected as a National Officer for the National SkillsUSA Organization.
The SkillsUSA Championships is the nation’s largest hands-on workforce development event for middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students enrolled in career and technical education programs. Quality career and technical education is the centerpiece of the conference. There were more than 17,000 students, teachers, education leaders, and representatives from 650 national corporations, trade associations, businesses, and labor unions in attendance. Each national contestant was a state gold medalist.
SkillsUSA and industry representatives host the event at an estimated cost of more than $36 million. It is considered the largest skill competition in the world and one of the single largest days of industry volunteerism in the United States. SkillsUSA represents 130 different occupational areas and adds competitions to the SkillsUSA Championships each year to meet the demands of new or expanding careers. The SkillsUSA Championships features more than 6700 competitors in 110 hands-on skill and leadership competitions. The contest area covers 2 million square feet (equivalent to 35 football fields or 46 acres)