Friday Flash April 25, 2025

National Leadership and Skills Conference

Registration is open for contestants and advisors to get signed up. The deadline to register and submit is May 5. Payment should be received by the state office by May 13, 2025.

Further information can be found at our state site and national mini-site.

State NLSC Info

National NLSC Mini-Site

Final Call for NLSC 2025 Courtesy Corps Members

SkillsUSA is still recruiting National Courtesy Corps (NCC) members to support the 2025 National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC). This much-appreciated group supports the competition technical committees and the overall conference experience, and it’s a great way for students to network with industry partners and other SkillsUSA students from across the nation. NCC members receive free conference registration, housing, local transportation and meals. Participants must stay at their assigned Georgia Tech campus housing in Atlanta. For a link to the nomination form and eligibility requirements, visit the National Courtesy Corps web page. For questions, contact Lauri Domer. The deadline for nominations is April 30.

Register for Signing Day by April 30!

CALLING ALL CHAPTERS! SkillsUSA’s National Signing Day is on May 6, (or another day of your chapter’s choosing). This is the day when chapters across the nation celebrate our next generation of skilled professionals as they sign letters of intent to pursue career pathways in the skilled trades. Will you add your chapter’s voice to thousands of others? Download our Signing Day toolkit and learn more about SkillsUSA Signing Day. The deadline to register is April 30 and there is no cost to participate. Help us show the nation the future is in good hands … because it’s in SKILLED hands! You can sign students in your classroom or have a school wide event, it is up to you! Invite partners and parents to watch and support your members. This is a wonderful end-of-year recognition activity. Watch the Signing Day message from Chelle Travis. Signing Day is sponsored by the Lowe’s Foundation, 3M, State Farm and NAPA.

All chapters are asked to share their events on social media and to submit their Signing Day photos, videos and stories to SkillsUSA so we can highlight your local events. To submit photos and stories, upload them here. Use the hashtag #SkillsUSANationalSigningDay. 

Students Create Kindness: SkillsUSA Champions Spotlight Story

Check out the latest inspiring SkillsUSA Champions spotlight story about students at Sylmar Biotech Health and Engineering Magnet in Los Angeles creating a community service project as a team to advocate for the safety and prevention of violence in their school. The project was called “One Hello.” Their choice for the project was influenced by an incident earlier in the year when two students were in a fight and a gun fell out of a backpack. It was modeled after a project that students from the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School (Conn.) shooting created called “Start with Hello Week” to help their students to feel safe again at school after the incident. 

SkillsUSA Technical Thursdays in May

SkillsUSA advisors — don’t miss this Technical Thursday opportunity to bring real-world industry tools into your classroom. Join us on Thursday, May 1, from 4-5 p.m. ET for a session titled “Autodesk Intro to Fusion with SkillsUSA.” This session will introduce you to Autodesk Fusion, a powerful, all-in-one platform for CAD, CAM and CAE that's ideal for teaching design, engineering and manufacturing concepts. You’ll explore Fusion’s capabilities including 3D modeling, simulation, electronics and AI-driven design. There will also be a walk through of hands-on tools for 3D printing, laser cutting and CNC projects that are perfect for SkillsUSA competitions and classroom applications. Learn how Fusion supports project-based learning and career readiness while giving your students a competitive edge. Participants will earn a Professional Development (PD) certificate upon completion. Register for the workshop (space is limited). For questions, contact Jordan Sewell.

SkillsUSA’s National Week of Service

Giving back to the community is an important part of SkillsUSA’s Program of Work, which guides chapters in developing an annual calendar of activities and experiences. All SkillsUSA chapters are invited to plan, promote and conduct a service project during the SkillsUSA National Week of Service on May 4-10, 2025. This event helps commemorate the founding of SkillsUSA on May 8, 1965, and this year is our 60th anniversary.

Check out the latest SkillsUSA Champions story that details the work of 30 SkillsUSA chapters that have led meaningful service projects in their communities. Service projects build skills, empathy and awareness of community issues and needs. Through service, these students also developed real-world skills and created lasting connections between their school and the community.

Be sure to publicize your projects to the community via your local media. To locate contact information for area newspapers, use the Advocacy Site. On the site, click on “Media,” enter your ZIP code, and choose up to six outlets. Then, click on “Send a Message.” Fill in your contact information and copy and paste your message into the form. To see the contact information for each outlet, click on the name of the newspaper.

Press Releases for State Conference Winners

We encourage you to promote your state conference winners to your local media. Here is an editable press release template to share on the Advocacy Site. This makes it easy for state winners and their advisors to share competition results with your hometown media. Parents, instructors, students or anyone can send these emails. You can send a message to six media contacts at a time by selecting news outlets and clicking on Send a Message. You can send a press release for one student or for the whole school.

Apply for the 2025 SKILLS JAM Cast

SKILLS JAM! Everyone’s favorite entertainment brand focused on skills careers content – made for youth, by youth, is coming back to the National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) in Atlanta to participate with MORE fun and MORE exciting ways to be a part of the action! SKILLS JAM invites all creators, builders and doers to submit an audition video for a chance to be featured in the 2025 SKILLS JAM cast! (You do not need to attend the NLSC to be selected as a cast member.) See the SKILLS JAM overview for more information.

SkillsUSA Scholarships and NLSC Travel Grants

Please encourage your students to apply for our incredible scholarships including travel grants to attend the National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC). SkillsUSA student members can review eligibility criteria, scholarship amounts and applications on the scholarships page on the website. For questions, contact our Customer Care Team.

Scholarship closing on May 2

2025 Robert Flint Student Leadership Development Scholarship for Leverage Conference

NLSC travel scholarships close May 26

Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Travel Scholarship (receive up to $1,500 to attend the 2025 NLSC)

Hyundai Travel Grant (receive up to $1,500 to attend the 2025 NLSC)

Scholarships closing on May 30

Bob Westphal Memorial Scholarship

SkillsUSA-Aerotek “Make Your Mark” Scholarships

Scholarship closing on June 30

NAPA/SkillsUSA Transportation Repair Pathway Scholarship

Apply for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence

Applications are now open for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. The prize recognizes outstanding instruction in the skilled trades in high schools and the teachers who inspire students to learn skills to prepare for life after graduation. In 2025, Harbor Freight will award $1.5 million in cash prizes to 25 skilled trades teachers and their programs. In 2024, the prize recognized 12 SkillsUSA instructors as winners. Applications must be received by May 2. Finalists will be announced June 10 and winners will be announced this fall.