Friday Flash May 16, 2025
- Jeremy Boudreaux
- May 16
- 6 min read
National Leadership and Skills Conference (Updates)
Student and Advisor Testing Credentials Available at NLSC. If you are attending NLSC this year be sure to check out the following link for free credentials available for you. Reserve Now, because they are first come first served.
A limited number of the 2025 State Pins are still available for pre-ordering and can be picked up at the hotel in atlanta. They are first come first serve, so don't miss out on your chance on Pin Trading. https://www.skillsusala.org/product-page/2025-state-pin
Regular Guest passes not associated with the state delegation will be available after May 19 on the NLSC Mini Site
NLSC Travel Scholarships are still available to apply for, see the end of this news flash for details.
Further information can be found at our state site and national mini-site.
Ready for america’s CTE Hotspot? NLSC is Coming!
SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) is the nation’s top workforce destination event, the premier career and technical education hotspot and the largest gathering of America’s future workforce. The 2025 NLSC happens in Atlanta from June 23-27, and this is the one event where ALL SkillsUSA members can CONNECT with a supportive community, BUILD career readiness skills and CELEBRATE the achievements of our skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. Whether you’re there to compete, lead, learn, support or all the above, there’s no place you’d rather be this summer. Everyone can participate in NLSC, you do not have to be a competitor or have an official role to register and attend. Visit nlsc.skillsusa.org to stay updated on all-things-NLSC.
SkillsUSA Celebrates 60 Years of Championing Career Readiness
SkillsUSA marked its 60th anniversary with a special celebration on Capitol Hill on May 8, bringing together members, alumni, national officers, business and industry partners, and lawmakers to honor six decades of empowering students through career and technical education (CTE). As part of the festivities, U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Haley Stevens (D-MI) introduced a bipartisan resolution honoring SkillsUSA’s legacy of preparing more than 15 million students since its founding in 1965. SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis also addressed the crowd, along with Aerotek’s DJ Jordan, Maureen Tholen from 3M, Leigh Creech from Lowe’s Companies Inc. and Nick Moore from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career Technical and Adult Education. Former 2021-22 national officer president Ambuja Sharma moderated. Their remarks underscored SkillsUSA’s powerful role in bridging education and employment, and in preparing students for high-demand, high-wage careers. Check out the SkillsUSA Champions story about the event and view the event photo album.
3M Announces Call for Applications for the Class of the Grinders Competition
The Clash of the Grinders metalworking competition is calling for applications for the 2025 event.
Welding students and recent graduates will compete in Minneapolis July 7-11, 2025, for the chance to win $15,000. The skills competition is sponsored by 3M and Airgas, in partnership with Weld.com and NC3. The event also gives participants a chance to share their skills and achievements in the associated video series on the @3MAbrasives YouTube channel. Applications are accepted through May 31.
SkillsUSA Celebrates Our Biggest National Signing Day Ever
SkillsUSA National Signing Day on May 6 was the largest in SkillsUSA history, with more than 3,500 students in about 200 schools across 44 states! The word is spreading and there’s never been a better time to be skilled. At Signing Day, students signed letters of intent to pursue career paths in the skilled trades while parents, teachers and partners cheered them on. The boundless pride of the day was evident in the glowing faces of the attendees. See the Signing Day recap spotlight story and the photos and videos we’ve received so far, and continue to share your photos, videos and stories so we can highlight your chapter on our news channels. If you post on social media, use the hashtags #SkillsUSANationalSigningDay and #SignedForSuccess. SkillsUSA National Signing Day was sponsored by the Lowe’s Foundation, 3M, State Farm and NAPA.
SKILLS JAM Seeks HS TeamWorks Team
SKILLS JAM, everyone’s favorite entertainment brand for skilled careers content, is coming back to the National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) in Atlanta this June with more fun and more ways to participate!
SKILLS JAM is seeking one high school TeamWorks team that will compete at the 2025 NLSC to follow on their competition journey. If you have an outstanding team — especially one with interesting personal stories — please let us know. SKILLS JAM also invites all interested student creators, builders and doers to submit a short audition video for a chance to be featured in a future SKILLS JAM episode! They are looking for great skills and a great on-camera personality. You don’t need to attend the NLSC to be a future cast member.
Submit an audition using this form. If you have questions about SKILLS JAM or want to suggest a TeamWorks team for consideration to be highlighted on their journey to NLSC, contact Sylvia Phillips.
Student and Advisor Credentialing Opportunities at NLSC
SkillsUSA will offer more than two dozen certification exams spanning a variety of industries during NLSC for advisors and students. These quality non-degree credentials are free for SkillsUSA students and advisors in partnership with ACT, American Red Cross, Autodesk, iCEV, FANUC, Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3), NOCTI and YouScience. Some exams are open to all students and/or advisors, but others are limited to competitors in specific events. Select exams are open to the public, but NLSC registration is required. The full list of credentialing opportunities is posted here: www.nlsc.skillsusa.org/credentialing-opportunities.
Sharon Melton Myers Scholarship Winners
The Sharon Melton Myers Memorial Fund and the McMinn County Tennessee Vocational Center SkillsUSA Alumni Association awards two SkillsUSA high school seniors in any pathway a one-time $1,000 scholarship to support further education in college or a technical school. Here are this year’s winners:
· Jayden Sandoval, Dauphin County Technical School, Pa.
· Kallie Allen, Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, Mass.
Explore SkillsUSA History with New Documentary and Heritage Hub
This year, SkillsUSA celebrates our 60-year milestone with two exciting new projects and a promotional video.
The SkillsUSA Heritage Hub — An immersive digital experience showcasing our journey from VICA’s founding in 1965 to today’s thriving and growing SkillsUSA. Discover rare photos, artifacts and first-hand stories from the people who made it all happen. This collection was just released, and we will be adding Phase 2 this summer with more stories, more photos and more memorabilia! You can contribute your own photos, stories and memorabilia to the Heritage Hub. There is a contribution link on every page. Let’s celebrate our past and inspire the future — together! Visit now: Heritage.SkillsUSA.org.
History of SkillsUSA Documentary — In this short video you will hear directly from the pioneers, leaders and changemakers who have shaped SkillsUSA’s legacy from our humble beginnings to our incredible future. Watch the documentary: History of SkillsUSA: 60 Years of Student Success.
Scholarships
WD-40 Scholarship Winners
WD-40 offers ten $1,500 scholarships to SkillsUSA members who are pursuing education in trade areas such as CNC, HVAC, Electrical Construction Wiring, Welding, Automotive Service Technology, or other Transportation, distribution and Logistics fields. Here are this year’s winners.
· Gavin Shoun, Unaka High School, Tenn.
· Laden Olsen, Nebo Advanced Learning Center, Utah
· Logan Barrett, George Rogers Clark High School, Ky.
· Sarah St. Laurent, Tantasqua Regional High School, Mass.
· Sienna Whitaker, Collin College, Texas
· Joanne Turner, Greene County Vo-Tech, Miss.
· Max Pepper, MMCRU, Iowa
· Joshua Stover, Waubonsee Community College, Ill.
· Fisher Hendrickson, West-MEC NEC, Ariz.
· Jaelyn Chavez, Lanier Technical College, Ga.
Apply for SkillsUSA-Aerotek “Make Your Mark” Scholarships!
SkillsUSA students are encouraged to apply for the SkillsUSA-Aerotek “Make Your Mark” scholarship. The scholarship is for student members who expect direct educational costs for the Fall 2025 term at a community college, technical college, certificate program or apprenticeship program. Applications close on May 30. Recipients will receive up to $5,000 toward tuition, books, tools, on-campus housing or other approved direct educational expenses. Applicants must be engaged in continuing education/career training in one of these pathways: Construction; Manufacturing; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics; Telecommunications Cabling Training; and Electronics Technology or Industrial Engineering Technology. Review the application and all eligibility criteria on these flyers in English and in Spanish.
SkillsUSA Scholarship Application Deadlines Coming Soon
Please encourage your students to apply for our incredible SkillsUSA 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. Hold a scholarship meeting to help members with their applications or essay or recommendation letters. For questions, contact our SkillsUSA Customer Care Team.
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
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