Friday Flash Sept 12, 2025
- Jeremy Boudreaux
- Sep 12
- 3 min read
Aerotek "Make Your Mark" Scholarship Opportunity
SkillsUSA is thrilled to announce that we’ve once again partnered with Aerotek for the Fifth round of the “Make Your Mark” Scholarship program!
SkillsUSA members nationwide in select trade areas are encouraged to apply for the SkillsUSA Aerotek “Make Your Mark” scholarship. The scholarship is for SkillsUSA members with direct educational costs for the Spring 2026 term at a community college, technical college, certificate program or apprenticeship program.
Applications are being accepted until Nov. 7. Scholarship winners can receive up to $5,000 toward tuition, books, tools, on-campus housing or other approved direct educational expenses.
Applicants must be enrolled in continuing education or career training in one of these pathways: Construction; Manufacturing; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics; Telecommunications Cabling Training; and Electronics Technology or Industrial Engineering Technology.
For more information, review all eligibility criteria and the flyer. For additional questions, contact scholarship manager Amy Bridgeman.
Register Soon for ELEVATE!
The SkillsUSA Elevate Chapter Officer Development Conference is Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. This virtual interactive experience for local chapter officer teams focuses on building successful chapters by equipping officers with the skills to lead and serve their local members. Elevate is open to all SkillsUSA local chapter officers and an advisor must participate with each registered team. Participate right in your classroom, and the cost is $50 per chapter, regardless of the number of attendees. Download the Elevate flyer to share with your chapter officers. Register no later than Oct. 3 by visiting skillsusa.register.org.
New CEP Application & Resources Available
The updated Chapter Excellence Program (CEP) application is now live—and so are refreshed resources to guide you through the process, including an updated Advisors Guide to CEP. Completing a CEP application highlights your chapter’s achievements, strengthens your Program of Work, and positions your chapter for national recognition.
Please Note: Advisors can choose to give students direct access to the CEP application via a unique URL. This empowers students to take a more active role in documenting and celebrating their chapter’s success.
Need extra support? Our CEP Coach is ready to connect virtually with you one-on-one to answer questions and provide guidance.
Back to School Resources
Kick off the school year with confidence! SkillsUSA has released a new collection of FREE Back-to-School resources designed to help advisors start strong, stay organized and engage students from day one and through the first 8-10 weeks of school. New and refreshed tools compiled to:
· Energize your classroom and chapter meetings
· Connect SkillsUSA learning to real-world career readiness
· Elect officers and create engaging chapter meetings
· Recruit and retain members with student-led activities
· Plan ahead with ready-to-use guides and templates
These resources are created to save you time while empowering your chapter to succeed. Access them now and set the stage for an incredible year of SkillsUSA experiences. Check them out here.
Share Your Champions
The SkillsUSA Champions magazine staff is always looking for potential feature stories to share with SkillsUSA Nation. If you know of a SkillsUSA student, advisor, industry partner or graduate whose story would be motivating and inspirational, please submit the information through our online form.
2025 Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI)
With the 2025 Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI) quickly approaching, we cannot wait to see you on-site. The One-Day Only SkillsUSA Store will open at the WLTI hotel on Sunday, Sept. 21, from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 pm.
Please note: The SkillsUSA Store onsite at WLTI is cashless.
Celebrate our Past, Help Write Our Future
Join us in celebrating six decades of SkillsUSA! The SkillsUSA Heritage Hub is a digital museum dedicated to preserving and sharing our rich history. From archival photos to the stories of our founders, it's a treasure trove of inspiration.
But our history is still being written, and we want to hear from you. We invite you to share your own photos, stories, and memories to help grow this living collection.
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