Friday Flash Jan 30, 2026

2026 Louisiana State Leadership and Skills Conference

The dates are set and the time is coming!

March 18-20, 2026

Lafayette, Louisiana 

Feb 27, 2026, Regular Registration Submission due

March 3, 2026, Hotel Registration Deadline

March 7, 2026, Late Registration (+$10.00 Ea.)

March 13, 2026, All Payments Due

March 17, 2026, All Online Test due

Wednesday March 18,2026

• Some Contests Begin (ULL Student Union/SLCC)

• Opening Session (ULL Student Union)

Thursday March 19, 2026

• Contest All Day (South Louisiana Community College)

Friday March 20, 2026

• Awards TBD (ULL Student Union)

See more information in the Big Letter.

Also Emailed to lead advisors already, If you believe you missed email Mr. Boudreaux.

Big Letter

Registration

Industry Insider: Construction Recordings & Event Resources

The Industry Insider: Construction recordings are now live on SkillsUSA Pathful! Through authentic, industry-led conversations, students gain an insider’s perspective on what it takes to succeed in today’s construction industry, helping them build occupational identity, confidence, and clarity around their future career paths.

Students can watch the videos individually or as part of a classroom experience, featuring the following career areas:

● Carpentry

● Electrical

● HVAC-R

● Plumbing

All videos are available on demand. To access them:

1. Log in to SkillsUSA Pathful

2. Navigate to the Work-Based Learning tab

3. Click Videos

4. Search “Industry Insider” to view all four recording

Celebrate SkillsUSA Week – Feb. 2–6, 2026!

Mark your calendars! SkillsUSA Week is coming, and it’s the perfect way to spotlight the skilled trades, celebrate Career and Technical Education Month, and empower your students. Chapters can participate with simple, daily-themed activities—from recognition and service projects to career exploration and advocacy.

Check out the SkillsUSA Week Chapter Guide for ideas, tools, and resources to make the most of this special week.

Share Your SkillsUSA Week Photos

As you celebrate SkillsUSA Week, we would like to as you to please share your SkillsUSA Week photos with us. We would like to feature your photos in a Flickr gallery on our website. You can email photos or photo links to Craig Moore or upload them here.

February SkillsUSA Professional Development Sessions

Level up your chapter and bring the industry to your classroom with our February professional development sessions. Whether you're looking to master Work-Based Learning or refine your CEP application, we’ve got a time slot for you.

Mark your calendars:

• Feb 2: High School WBL Toolkit (4:30 & 7 p.m. ET)

• Feb 4: SkillsUSA Pathful & Industry Connections (4 & 7 p.m. ET)

• Feb 10: WBL Models & Career Discovery (4 & 7 p.m. ET)

• Feb 12: Advanced Chapter Excellence Program (4 & 7 p.m. ET)

Secure your spot here: www.skillsusa.org/advisors/professional-development/

Register Members by the March 1 Deadline

The national SkillsUSA membership deadline is March 1. Student members must meet both state and national membership deadlines to be eligible for national competitions, to serve as voting delegates or to run for national office. This deadline also applies to national scholarships, awards and honors. For information on state membership deadlines, visit the State Association Dues and Deadlines link.

Professional members, it isn’t too late to take advantage of your 2025-26 membership benefits, including access to these resources:

• Professional Member Resources:

• SkillsUSA Pathful: a dynamic digital platform that supports career exploration and connects students with industry professionals through live and on-demand content

• SkillsUSA Framework Integration Toolkit

• SkillsUSA Program of Work Toolkit

• Xplore

• SkillsUSA Technical Standards

• E-Courses (SkillsUSA Framework Certification, CTE Knowledge Certification and Building Self-Motivation in Student Leaders).

• Advisor Professional Development

Now Available: SkillsUSA Pathful Walkthrough Videos

SkillsUSA Pathful walkthrough videos are now available on the SkillsUSA website and YouTube to help advisors and students access member benefits and navigate the platform with confidence.

These role-specific videos focus on accessing the platform, with additional guidance for advisors using Pathful in the classroom and students exploring career-ready skills.

What’s Included

For Advisors

● How to access professional member benefits, including Technical Standards

● Overview of Pathful for classroom and career readiness use

For Students

● How to access Technical Standards

● How to log in and navigate Pathful

Access the videos and resources:

• Advisor and student access to member benefits (Technical Standards)

• Advisor Overview

• Student login and navigation overview

Save the Date: SkillsUSA National Signing Day — May 6, 2026 (or your date of choice!)

Chapters can host their Signing Day event on the national date or select any local date that fits their schedule. Celebrate students committing to skilled career pathways, apprenticeships, workforce entry, or continued CTE training. Early-bird registration runs March 1–31. The first 20 chapters to register 10 students will receive a National Signing Day incentive, and the first 3,000 registrations completed by the early-bird deadline will receive the official NSD hat. Registration closes May 1. Access planning guides, templates, invites, and celebration ideas at signingday.skillsusa.org.

SkillsUSA College/Postsecondary Scholarships Are Open!

Many students are thinking ahead to the cost of college and SkillsUSA offers exclusive scholarship opportunities for members pursuing postsecondary education. Registered SkillsUSA members with upcoming tuition expenses for the fall 2026 academic term can apply for scholarships provided by SkillsUSA and our industry partners.

Scholarships now open include:

• Clifford “Ted” Rees Memorial Scholarship ($2,500, closes April 17)

• Fine Homebuilding #KeepCraftAlive Scholarship ($2,500, closes April 17)

• Larry Rash Memorial Scholarship ($2,500, closes April 17)

• Marsha Daves Memorial Scholarship ($1,500, closes April 17)

• NAPA/SkillsUSA Transportation Repair Pathway Scholarship ($2,500, closes June 30)

• National Technical Honor Society Scholarship ($1,000, closes April 17)

• Sharon Melton Myers Memorial ($1,000, closes April 17)

SkillsUSA partners with Kaleidoscope to provide a streamlined application platform. Students are encouraged to explore the SkillsUSA Scholarships webpage now to view available opportunities and more will be posted soon. For scholarship questions or assistance in applying, reach out to Customer Care.

FINAL REMINDER: National Conference Pin and T-shirt Design

SkillsUSA is offering the 2026 National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) Pin and T-shirt Design Challenge to all dues-paying student members. The winning designs will become the official T-shirt and pin design for the 2026 NLSC. The challenge is open now, entries must be received by February 1 at midnight ET, and winners will be announced on February 7. Download the rules below:

• NLSC T-shirt Design

• NLSC Pin Design

FINAL REMINDER SME Foundation Scholarships

The SME Education Foundation awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors and current college students pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree in technical fields that directly support manufacturing. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 1, 2026. If you have already registered on the site, use your email and password to login. If you have not registered, please complete SME’s registration form to set up an account and begin your application. With more than 60 scholarship programs, the SME Foundation provides both merit and need-based scholarships, issues renewing and one-time awards, and seeks applications from all eligible students including women and under-represented communities. The Foundation awards nearly $1 million dollars in scholarships each year and has awarded $18 million dollars to over 5,000 future industry leaders since 2005. By submitting one application, you will be considered for all SME Foundation scholarships for which you are eligible.

Share Your Community Service Stories with SkillsUSA!

The SkillsUSA Champions digital hub provides new content frequently, from inspiring features to stories about the great work chapters and partners are doing. We know your chapters are doing some amazing community service work this holiday season and we would love to write about it. To submit a story idea, send us the details through our “Submit a Story” link, and we’ll contact you.