State Leadership & Skills Conference: Career Competitions
The SkillsUSA Illinois State Leadership & Skills Conference brings together more than 2,000 outstanding career and technical education students who compete hands-on in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields. Students work against the clock and each other, proving their expertise in occupations such as electronics, computer-aided drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts. Career competitions are run with the help of industry, trade associations and labor organizations, and test competencies are set by industry. Leadership contestants will demonstrate skills including extemporaneous speaking and conducting meetings by parliamentary procedure.
The SkillsUSA Illinois state competition recognizes career and technical education students who excel in their occupational areas, and spotlights leadership development activities that are such an integral part of the SkillsUSA program.
The philosophy of the SkillsUSA Illinois State Leadership & Skills Conference is to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance, and to keep training relevant to employers’ needs. Contests directly follow technical standards established by industry each year.
Besides showcasing students’ skills, the SkillsUSA Illinois State Leadership & Skills Conference, by the very nature of competition, urges students to take pride in their work. It also provides prospective employers with an opportunity to see dedicated, motivated potential employees at work.
