6,000 Career and Tech Students Compete during SkillsUSA Conference

Louisville community benefits from students’ skills and expertise.

SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, the world’s largest showcase of skilled trades, returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center June 19-23. The event brings with it an estimated economic impact of $18 million to Louisville.

More than 16,000 middle-school, high-school and college students; teachers; education leaders; and representatives from national corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions participate in the event.

The conference highlight is the annual SkillsUSA Championships, June 21-22. During the competition, top career and technical students participate in 100 hands-on contests, representing a wide range of technical, skilled, service and health occupations, including:

Architectural drafting

Carpentry

Cosmetology

Crime scene investigation

Masonry

Practical nursing

Welding

Culinary arts

Firefighting

Plumbing

Aviation maintenance technology

Electrical construction wiring

Digital cinema production

Sheet metal

“The Kentucky Exposition Center is proud to host SkillsUSA again this year and through 2020,” said Jason Rittenberry, President and CEO of Kentucky Venues. “We have a strong partnership with them, and we’re uniquely able to deliver the space they need.” Rittenberry also praised the students’ local service projects that benefit the community, including Habitat for Humanity, Supplies over Seas and Youth Build.

SkillsUSA community service projects include:

• Build-A-Table Event: June 21-22, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  West Wing of Kentucky Exposition Center
  The public is invited to help build 250 picnic tables for local nonprofit organizations: schools, public parks, playgrounds, food pantries and more.
• Blood Drive: June 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Kentucky Exposition Center Parking Lot: Outdoor Trade Show
The public can donate blood to the local community via the Kentucky Blood Center.

• Service Projects: June 23
  Locations throughout the Louisville area.

Students will share their skills and work on local projects that include: Supplies over Seas, Louisville Metro Parks, Habitat for Humanity, Youth Build, Louisville Rescue Mission and more.

SkillsUSA Championships is free and open to the public Wednesday, June 21 and Thursday, June 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is $8 per car, $20 for a bus.

The mission of SkillsUSA is to ensure a skilled workforce by preparing students for success in their chosen technical, service and health fields. Founded in 1965, the organization has served 12.5 million members, and more than 335,000 advisors and students participate each year.

For more information, visit www.skillsusa.org.