State Leadership & Skills Conference
April 27-29, 2023 | Peoria, IL
The State Leadership and Skills Conference is the pinnacle conference for the students in SkillsUSA Illinois. Each year SkillsUSA Illinois heads to Peoria, IL for this showcase of career and technical education students. More than 5,000 individuals — including students, teachers, and business partners — are expected to participate in the multi-day event.
Registration Information
Registration Deadline: March 15, 2023
This registration guide outlines all information for registering and preparing for State Leadership & Skills Conference. Please review this information and reach-out with any questions at membership@skillsusailllinois.org or 833.754.5545.
SLSC 2023 Registration Fees
Conference Registration
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$155 – Full Registration
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$140 – CEP Level 1 Chapters
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$125 – CEP Level 2 Chapters
Hotel Rate
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$210/night – All Hotels
Includes breakfast for up to four per room
SLSC 2023 Timeline
March 6
State Qualifying Events Results Released
March 10
Chapter Excellence Program Deadline
March 15
SLSC Registration Deadline
March 24
Advisor of the Year Application Deadline
April 25
Advisor Briefing
April 27-29
State Leadership & Skills Conference
Parent, Spectator and Guest Information
State Championships
Fri., April 28 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Peoria Civic Center
Open to the Public (Free)
The SkillsUSA Illinois State Championships 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. Besides showcasing students’ skills, the SkillsUSA Illinois Championships, 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.
Awards and Recognition Session
Sat., April 29 | 8:30 a.m. (doors 8 a.m.)
Location: Peoria Civic Center
$10 Entrance Pass Required
The SkillsUSA Illinois Awards and Recognition Session closes the State Leadership & Skills Conference by recognizing the winners of the career competitions, announcing who will advance on to represent Illinois at the National Leadership & Skills Conference. The event recaps the conference, distinguishes the outgoing state officers, as well as hosts the induction ceremony of the new state officer team. This ceremony celebrates students work and development in career fields studied within career and technical education.
Individual Hotel Reservations
Individual hotel requests can be booked in SkillsUSA Illinois Hotel Blocks using the link below. Rooms are $210 per night and include breakfast. Initial payment for rooms will be submitted with this form. Reservations must canceled with SkillsUSA Illinois 72 hours prior to check-in. Confirmations including hotel location will be sent the week of March 27. Final reservation numbers will be sent one week prior to conference. Please do not contact the hotels; if you have any questions, please contact the SkillsUSA Illinois State Office.
Advisors, DO NOT use this form to submit hotel requests for your chapter.
The SkillsUSA Illinois State Leadership & Skills Conference Opening Ceremony; Career Competition Orientation Meetings; career competitions before 8:30 a.m., display contests, and presentation contests; Champions Celebration; and all other events other than those described above are closed to the public.
SkillsUSA Illinois Championships
The SkillsUSA Illinois Championships 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.
It is the goal of SkillsUSA Illinois to run all career competitions at maximum numbers. Therefore, after advisors have received the results of the State Qualifying Exams, please notify our membership team if any of your students that have qualified will not be competing in that competition so that may notify the next competitor.
For more information on career competitions (including updates), visit the Championships section of the website:
About the Conference
The high-energy festivities kick off on Thursday evening. Speakers deliver powerfully memorable inspiration for students to acknowledge the strength and possibility of their skills, embrace competition, and develop a deep sense of pride in their work.
The Championships begins on Friday with students competing across 100+ career competitions designed to test their skills. Each competition is designed and run by representatives of respective industries, allowing students to gain a high degree of experience and insight. Afterwards, students are treated to ice cream and a social event for their hard work.
The involvement of industry in the SkillsUSA Illinois Championships program is essential. Leadership, health, trade, industrial and technical experts donate their time to serve as contest judges and as technical committee members. They assume responsibility for selecting the skills to be judged, determining the format of the contests and establishing the standards by which the contestants will be judged.
The red jackets come out on Saturday as the conference ends with an “Olympic Style” Champions Ceremony. It is truly a sight to behold as students stand tall and proud of their accomplishment, connect with their future, and prepare to represent Illinois on the national stage.
Future Dates
2024: April 25-27 | 2025: April 24-26 | 2026: April 23-25
