SkillsUSA State of the Association 2023

Report to the SkillsUSA Corporation

June 21, 2023

SkillsUSA strives to ensure inclusive participation in all of our programs, partnerships and employment opportunities. In SkillsUSA, diversity encompasses differences in race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, gender transition status, national origin, age, physical and mental ability, thinking styles, experience and education. We strive to make all members, partners and employees feel welcomed and valued in the SkillsUSA family. SkillsUSA believes in treating all people with respect and dignity. We want SkillsUSA to be regarded as a membership organization of choice that encourages all individuals to be involved.

A Message from SkillsUSA Leadership

June 2023

Dear SkillsUSA stakeholders,

We are proud to deliver this 2023 State of the Association report to highlight SkillsUSA’s organizational excellence during the past year and demonstrate our progressive efforts to engage students and support instructors while finding new ways to accomplish our mission.

As we emerged from the grip of a global pandemic, SkillsUSA did more than survive — we thrived, evidenced by what are currently the highest membership levels in our 58-year history! Our programs expanded as we committed ourselves to delivering a comprehensive Program of Work to our members during the 2022-2023 school year, beginning with a larger-than-ever Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI) in September. Fall leadership conferences, SkillsUSA Week and SkillsUSA National Signing Day highlighted the year’s progression, all leading to the event that puts SkillsUSA on the national map: the 2023 National Leadership & Skills Conference.

Internally, we followed a carefully crafted path forward in year two of our strategic plan. To support the plan’s imperatives, we grew our fundraising team, developed a comprehensive new brand strategy and continued to focus on transformative change in order to create an inclusive SkillsUSA for every student member. You’ll read about these and other highlights on the pages ahead.

As America’s proud champion of the skilled trades, SkillsUSA is proving that our growing talent pipeline continues to be essential to the nation, just as the support of our members and partners is essential to our success. Thanks to you, thousands of our students and teachers experienced a truly life-changing year. Thanks to you, the best is yet to come.

Maureen Tholen SkillsUSA Board President Vice President of Sustainability, 3M

SkillsUSA Board of Directors for 2022-2023

Chelle Travis Executive Director, SkillsUSA

Strategic Vision

STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES

A strong strategic plan remained a top priority for SkillsUSA this year. Our plan is based on six strategic imperatives with action-oriented subgoals, benchmarks and quarterly goals.

The full staff gathered for several days in person in January 2023 for the mid-year adjustment of department plans and to begin planning for FY24 so we can continue to smoothly collaborate and move forward on these strategic imperatives.

The plan is delivered through action-oriented subgoals, annual benchmarks and quarterly goals.

IMPERATIVE 1

Enhance our efforts to build a diverse and careerready talent pipeline by strengthening student engagement with SkillsUSA.

IMPERATIVE 2

Integrate the values of DEI in every level of SkillsUSA’s work to better serve underrepresented students and achieve greater mission impact.

IMPERATIVE 3

Recruit and develop current CTE instructors to strengthen training programs and establish comprehensive SkillsUSA chapters.

IMPERATIVE 4

Focus, strengthen and amplify SkillsUSA’s organizational voice to more effectively communicate the value of our mission to all relevant audiences.

IMPERATIVE 5

Build philanthropic partnerships to strengthen stakeholder outcomes.

IMPERATIVE 6

Build infrastructure to support cultural principles, processes and tools necessary to sustain growth and improvement within the organization.

Membership

AN ALL-TIME HIGH

The highest membership in our history has been reached as we head toward FY24. As of June 6, SkillsUSA stood at 380,237 student and professional members. SkillsUSA has done more than recover from the membership challenges resulting from the pandemic; We are stronger than ever.

Membership rose by nearly 15% compared to 20212022, exceeding all projections. In fact, 43 states surpassed the previous year’s membership. A total of 21,146 professional members registered in 2022-23, along with 358,629 students. Compared to 20202021, the High School division showed an increase in members of 13%, while College/Postsecondary increased by 29% and Middle School increased by 31%.

NEW SCHOOLS AND ADVISORS

This year, 471 new chapters chartered with SkillsUSA, and out of those 471 chapters, 217 joined 4,946 members (4,589 students and 357 professionals). This was a direct result of our intentional and scheduled outreach to new advisors and chapters, resulting in 45% of new chapters actively engaging.

AFFILIATION PLAN SUCCESS

SkillsUSA registered the highest number of affiliation plans (the Total Participation Plan for high school and the Campus Plan for college/postsecondary) this year compared to the past five years. A total of 225 schools, districts and states committed to register all their CTE students as SkillsUSA members, contributing to 52.1% of our 2022-23 total membership.

COMPREHENSIVE CHAPTER PILOT

The pilot program of cohorts began with five states this year. A total of 73 advisors participated in this yearlong, hybrid professional development series, and their training will ultimately affect over 6,000 students. This program focuses on SkillsUSA Framework integration and chapter management basics.

STATE SUPPORT

Thriving state and territorial associations are crucial elements of SkillsUSA’s national success. In FY23, we provided more support than ever to our associations to ensure they had the tools they needed to accomplish SkillsUSA’s mission in their own states and territories.

CONFERENCES AND COMPETITIONS

State directors requested more State Leadership & Skills Conference (SLSC) support and high-quality state competition materials to ensure greater consistency while helping all students be better prepared for national competitions. The turnkey resources included a SLSC State Director Planning Guide, technical chair guides, a Judge’s Toolkit and online testing. To ensure that our state support was truly comprehensive, resources were also developed to support SLSC general sessions, delegate programs and recognition opportunities. Once created, the new state resources were posted for easy access on the new State Association Gateway and included training opportunities.

STATE DIRECTOR TRAINING

Ongoing state director training is crucial to maintaining a robust network of state leaders who can effectively support and grow state associations — especially with the natural turnover in these leadership roles. The annual summer State Director Association

Professional Development Conference is scheduled for Aug. 15-18 in Columbus, Ohio. This event allows state directors to participate in professional development activities, build their SkillsUSA knowledge and strengthen their peer network. SkillsUSA

pays for the training, a portion of the lodging, food and local transportation to remove barriers and encourage participation.

STATE OFFICERS AND DELEGATES

State Officer Programming — SkillsUSA focuses on state officer programming as an important way to support state associations. SkillsUSA delivered a new State Officer PostElection Training Guide this year with detailed plans and activities, making it easy to implement a comprehensive training program for state leaders. SkillsUSA’s Leverage conference aligns with officers’ knowledge and needs as they arrive to NLSC, elevating the officers’ training experience. SkillsUSA has ongoing engagement with state associations on their needs for state officer programming.

State Delegate Programming — SkillsUSA created a new State Delegate Program Guide based on the national delegate program. State associations can use the guide to build a complete and comprehensive educational program for delegates that includes student training, creating ad hoc committees for gathering feedback, how to hold business sessions and scheduling “meet the candidate” sessions prior to state officer elections.

CUSTOMER CARE EXPANDS

SkillsUSA’s Customer Care Team evolved in impactful ways in FY23. When the CCT was created in 2013, it began as a shared, two-person position operating six months out of the year. Today, it’s a team of five full-time and two part-time positions year-round. The team has experienced a 291% increase in contact volume in a five-year period, from 6,387 contacts in the 2017-18 membership year to 25,032 contacts in the 2021-2022 membership year. The number of contacts this year to date is 25,309.

A key strategy of the CCT is to increase the level of engagement for new chapters. CCT has onboarded 471 new chapters, and 217 of those chapters joined a total of 4,946 students and teachers.

The CCT offered expanded hours to have team members available 8 a.m. ET Monday through Friday. They offered additional support hours during the state championships season in February and March by extending hours of operation to 6 p.m. ET on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and staying open until 7 p.m. ET on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Extending the hours allowed the team to serve more members efficiently. As CCT grows steadily, we strive to elevate the customer service experience for all stakeholders.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

ADVANTAGE REPORT

The power of SkillsUSA to change lives was further confirmed in an exciting new report from the Student Research Foundation: “The SkillsUSA Advantage” highlights how SkillsUSA members outperform their peers (who are not in career and technical student organizations) in seven essential areas:

1. Earning a license or certification related to their field of study

2. Meeting potential employers

3. Being excited about their chosen career

4. Gaining work experience as a student

5. Understanding the work environment

6. Being excited about school

7. Connecting school to the real world

Most exciting from a DEI perspective is that, among the more than 27,000 high school students surveyed, this “SkillsUSA advantage” holds true regardless of gender, race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status. In fact, girls, students of color and students at low socioeconomic schools all showed improved outcomes from participating in SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA students also reported greater access to expanded opportunities and dramatically improved career-readiness skills.

One of the first post-pandemic looks at students, the report underscores the importance of removing barriers to ensure that all potential members have an opportunity to participate in SkillsUSA, something our ongoing DEI work is focused on accomplishing.

Dr. Ricardo Romanillos and Chelle Travis shared the report — and how to leverage the information to gain greater support — in two successful, well-attended national webinars for members and stakeholders. The report was also highlighted in a SkillsUSA podcast and an article in SkillsUSA Champions magazine

View the full report here.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

MORE DEI HIGHLIGHTS

SkillsUSA lives up to our responsibility of treating all members and partners with respect, and our ongoing DEI efforts in FY23 demonstrated that commitment.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workgroup met regularly this past year and developed policies to be considered by the SkillsUSA Board of Directors, including an official non-discrimination statement. This statement serves as a foundation for the Student Code of Conduct, which is part of the national conference registration form. The statement reads as follows:

SkillsUSA is committed to a learning and working environment free from all forms of discrimination. SkillsUSA prohibits any discrimination, within any program or activity, including on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, gender transition status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or marital status as required by law. Retaliation against any person who reports or participates as a witness in the investigation of a discrimination and/or harassment complaint is strictly prohibited.

BIAS, HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION REPORTING

Last year, SkillsUSA developed a reporting form and accompanying response procedure as part of its efforts to promote safe environments for those participating in our programs and events. SkillsUSA members attending a national event can complete a digital form to report incidents of bias, harassment or discrimination that take place. Upon receiving this form, the SkillsUSA response team will connect the member to appropriate resources and explain next steps. Alternatively, members can send the report anonymously. See the form here.

NLSC INITIATIVES

The 2023 NLSC will offer opportunities to highlight member engagement by offering pronoun ribbons for conference badges, a prominent display of our DEI vision and commitments, and a photo montage wall where everyone can see the diversity of our members and stakeholders.

FRESH REVIEW OF OUR MARKETING

SkillsUSA contracted with Think Rubix , a minorityowned social impact firm dedicated to driving progress toward a fairer, more prosperous world. Think Rubix is working with SkillsUSA on several marketing and communications initiatives, including a training video for NLSC volunteers, input on our storytelling through SkillsUSA Champions magazine, review of our new brand strategy and creation of materials to support our work.

Events and Programs

WLTI KICKS OFF A BIG YEAR

More than 500 students and advisors from 29 states traveled to Washington, D.C., Sept. 1721, 2022, to participate in SkillsUSA’s premier advocacy conference: the Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI). This is an increase from just over 300 students from 19 states in 2021.

The four-day leadership conference for high school and college/postsecondary students is a highlight of the SkillsUSA year. During the most recent WLTI, students developed SkillsUSA Framework skills for effective leaders and an understanding of how government works. Training focused on the Essential Elements of Professionalism, Communication and Leadership. Work sessions included “Advocacy in CTE,” “Preparing for Legislative Visits,” “CTE Hot Topics”

and “Communicating Using the POWERR Formula.” Attendees also explored the monuments and museums of D.C. to witness the history that shaped the nation, and national officers participated in a somber wreathlaying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

The highlight of WLTI came when students embraced the opportunity to advocate for SkillsUSA and CTE with their elected officials on Capitol Hill. SkillsUSA members visited 15 senators and 47 representatives, plus Associate Deputy Secretary of Labor Nikki McKinney, for a total of 63 visits. The sense of pride and accomplishment these students gained as a result of this unique and empowering opportunity was palpable, and students were challenged to share that feeling with other members in their states. See the full story and more photos here.

SkillsUSA students and teachers gather at the U.S. Capitol before their legislative visits during WLTI.

SkillsUSA WEEK

SkillsUSA Week is an inspired celebration held each February during Career and Technical Education Week. This year’s celebration provided chapters and state associations the opportunity to promote programs and activities at the local, state and national levels.

As chapters celebrated SkillsUSA Week across the country, the SkillsUSA National Officer Team visited the U.S. Department of Education on “Advocacy Day.” The team (photo below) met with Assistant Secretary Amy Loyd and OCTAE staff to discuss how SkillsUSA aligns with federal education priorities. They also shared the “SkillsUSA Advantage” report, which highlights positive student outcomes from SkillsUSA involvement (see Page 8).

Next, the group met with state senators at the U.S. Capitol, including the office of Sen. Jon Ossoff (DGa.), Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). In addition, the group met with House CTE Caucus cochair Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.).

To learn how one local chapter celebrated, read the story on SkillsUSA Champions magazine about East Butler High School (Neb.) and their incredible 2023 SkillsUSA Week celebration. See our SkillsUSA Week recap story on the Champions magazine digital hub.

This year’s SkillsUSA Week was supported by John Deere.

SkillsUSA national officers meet with elected officials on Capitol Hill to showcase their SkillsUSA Framework stories and career pathways.

SkillsUSA SIGNING DAY

On May 4, 2023, SkillsUSA celebrated the fourth successful SkillsUSA National Signing Day, working with our chapters nationwide to highlight the value of skilled trades careers. The events recognized career and technical education students for their dedication to career readiness and their commitment to their future career plans in the skilled trades. Thousands of SkillsUSA schools participated to honor their students. See highlights from events nationwide on our website .

PARTNERS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Our Signing Day partners included Angi, Wolverine, Constellation and Lowe’s. Each company contributed something unique to the day. Along hosting events for students on Instagram and TikTok, Angi placed a fullpage ad in the New York Times celebrating SkillsUSA National Signing Day. Wolverine set up an event in Michigan that featured University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh — who brought along many of his top players — personally encouraging the more than 130 students in attendance to use their skills to better themselves and their communities. Constellation held an event in Maryland that celebrated 56 graduating seniors while delivering school grants, and Lowe’s offered overall support of what’s becoming a nationally recognized event honoring the skilled trades.

TV personality Mike Holmes saluted SkillsUSA members with a video on social media to highlight the event and the skilled trades. Wolverine also produced their own recap of the exciting day.

See more National Signing Day coverage from across the U.S. on our website and read the full recap story on SkillsUSA Champions.

EVENTS AND PROGRAMS

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

SkillsUSA programming hit high marks of excellence and effectiveness in FY23, from expanded professional development offerings to chapter officer training and more.

TEACH, LEAD AND EXCEL

SkillsUSA expanded professional development for teachers to be year-round on topics ranging from student engagement and teaching strategies to classroom facilitation and SkillsUSA chapter management, as well as technical expertise in a variety of fields. SkillsUSA offered over 30 virtual trainings, an advisor session at the Washington Leadership Training Institute, inperson trainings for 11 state and territorial associations (Arizona, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Utah, Virginia and the Virgin Islands), training at external conferences and curriculum for states and advisors upon request.

POUR THE I ndus TEA

SkillsUSA hosted its second “Pour the IndusTEA” on Nov. 16, 2022. This virtual event is an industry panel discussion with students, teachers and business and industry leaders. It connects students with business and industry panelists in their career cluster. Students attending this career-focused event gained useful insight about the industries they are stepping into. A total of 1,150 students participated from 28 state associations, and 39 industry led the discussions.

S kills USA RECRUITMENT WEEK

SkillsUSA provided Recruitment Week resources to local chapters to help both advisors and officers plan events to engage new members. Items included a Chapter Leader Planning Guide, advisor-facilitated lesson plans, Recruitment Week logos and more. Chapters were encouraged to capture and share their work with the national office.

CHAPTER EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

The SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program (CEP), now in its ninth year, recognizes local chapter achievement as it relates to the integration of the SkillsUSA Framework in Program of Work activities. This year, 781 chapters participated in the program and 242 chapters earned Chapter of Distinction recognition by ranking gold, silver, or bronze on the state level. Participation in CEP was enhanced by one-on-one coaching offered, which assisted instructors in effectively integrating the Framework in student-led activities, establishing SMART goals for the chapter and evaluating Essential Elements as they integrate into chapter activities.

LOCAL CHAPTER OFFICER DEVELOPMENT

On Oct. 19, SkillsUSA held “Elevate” for the second year. Elevate is a virtual conference experience for chapter officers and their advisors. A total of 682 local officers and 114 advisors in 106 chapters nationwide became more intentional about planning a Program of Work with the SkillsUSA Framework at the center.

National Leadership & Skills Conference

LARGEST NLSC EVER

It’s the highlight of the SkillsUSA calendar. Our National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) is one of the largest showcases — and the ultimate recognition of excellence — for career and technical education in the United States.

The 2022 NLSC marked a triumphant return to an in-person national conference, our first since 2019 and our first NLSC in Atlanta since 1981. This year’s multi-faceted event is shaping up to be the biggest in our history, featuring the SkillsUSA Championships, where thousands of state champions will compete for national gold, silver and bronze. Held right alongside the competitions is SkillsUSA TECHSPO, the largest technical exposition in the nation. Attendance for the 2023 NLSC is estimated to approach 15,000, and the event will generate $26 million for the Atlanta economy.

National recognition is an important focus of the NLSC as we name the SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year from among five finalists and the top three 2023 Models of Excellence (MOE) schools. MOE winners best exemplify the SkillsUSA Framework in Personal Skills, Workplace Skills and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics.

Two general sessions, the Champions Festival, delegate business sessions, national officer elections and a student-led community service project are also a part of this thrilling week.

SkillsUSA University and the Academy of Excellence provide unique professional development opportunities for instructors, administrators and counselors. The new Advisor Summit is an exclusive opportunity for teachers to maximize their own professional development. New this year is the inaugural Education, Business and Industry Summit, which will bring together thought leaders in workforce development for an afternoon of conversation and collaboration. Delegates have their own expanded program with more training and committees to examine organizational issues and provide recommendations to solve them.

PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS

Pre-conference training opportunities for chapter leaders, state officers and teachers include Activate, Leverage and Engage, which focus on leadership development. These conferences take place the weekend prior to NLSC with members from across the nation.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP & SKILLS CONFERENCE

NEW NLSC MICROSITE

New this year, the NLSC microsite is a hub for allthings-NLSC, from schedules to participant resources. This one-stop location for conference-related information creates a much improved user experience for our members and stakeholders planning to attend.

The booths offer a variety of interactive experiences across all career clusters, ensuring the conference floor is packed every day.

This year will also feature a new Expedition NLSC Scavenger Hunt for students to enjoy as they lean into learning moments, create connections with their peers and advisors and engage with exhibitors and official partners to make the most of their NLSC experience. View the SkillsUSA TECHSPO exhibit map here

LARGEST S kills USA TECHSPO EVER

Like all aspects of NLSC, SkillsUSA TECHSPO has been growing to showcase even more of the latest technology. In fact, with an estimated 200 exhibitors, this year’s SkillsUSA TECHSPO will be the largest ever! At TECHSPO, Members see the application of that technology for the future workforce while enjoying an amazing interactive experience.

Exhibitors from education and industry are positioned right alongside the SkillsUSA Championships throughout the Georgia World Congress Center. Students and instructors interact directly with exhibitors to learn more about education, training and technology for various careers.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP & SKILLS CONFERENCE

SkillsUSA CHAMPIONSHIPS

It’s America’s premier skilled trades event. Held during NLSC, the SkillsUSA Championships is one of the largest hands-on workforce events in the nation. This year’s event showcases 110 skilled and leadership competitions in a space the size of more than 30 football fields.

Nearly 6,200 competitors from across the nation are supported by a $36 million investment from business and industry. The SkillsUSA Championships represents a tremendous collective effort by the national technical committees, staff, state SkillsUSA directors, advisors, partners and supporters. Thanks to this effort, we will recognize over 1,200 national medalists in our premier competitions.

REVISED TECHNICAL STANDARDS

In October, we redesigned the SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards, the official competition guide. This is the first complete redesign of the guide in 10 years, and the new version provides detailed competition information in an enhanced an easy-to-read format. The resource is a member benefit.

WorldSkills Special Event

A GLOBAL WINNER

Jordan Packer of Utah earned a bronze medal in Welding at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition. The event was held Oct. 17-20 at the Lincoln Electric Welding Technology and Training Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Packer was the sole U.S. competitor for the event, which was part of a series of 62 WorldSkills 2022 Special Edition competitions held between Sept. 7 and Nov. 26, 2022, in 26 cities and 15 countries and regions across Europe, North America and East Asia.

INDUSTRY SUPPORT MADE THE DIFFERENCE

Packer worked closely with members of the American Welding Society (AWS) WorldSkills USA Competition Committee, including previous WorldSkills competitors Chandler Vincent and Ray Connolly, the WorldSkills chief expert for welding. “I have a deep gratitude for everyone who made this event a reality, particularly Lincoln Electric and Samsung,” Packer said. “Leading up to the competition, I knew that I had done everything in my power to prepare. This was the experience of a lifetime to say the least. Being able to create new friendships across the globe was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It made me happy to see the American flag on the podium, knowing that the team and I made that happen.”

Packer joined SkillsUSA in 2015 as a sophomore at Provo (Utah) High School. In SkillsUSA he competed in welding three years in a row at the state level. In 2021, he was the state gold medalist for the college/postsecondary division and competed at the 2021 SkillsUSA Championships, later earning his spot to represent SkillsUSA at the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition at the AWS Weld-Off.

Over 1,000 competitors from 57 countries and regions participated in the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition events. These competitions reestablished the biennial cycle of WorldSkills competitions that was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lincoln Electric Training Center hosted two events in October: The WorldSkills Special Edition Construction Metal Work competition and the Welding competition, which SkillsUSA also supported. Samsung Electronics was the overall event sponsor for the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition.

WorldSkills medalist Jordan Packer (center), congratulated by Chelle Travis and Scott Norman.

Branding, Web and PR

NEW BRAND STRATEGY

The first new brand strategy since 2004 was developed in FY23. The new SkillsUSA Brand Strategy serves as an organizational roadmap to guide all communications, events and experiences. The strategy was developed to support Imperative 4 of the SkillsUSA Strategic Plan: “Focus, strengthen and amplify SkillsUSA’s organizational voice to more effectively communicate the value of our mission to all relevant audiences.”

The foundation for this SkillsUSA Brand Strategy was a year of qualitative and quantitative research with a wide variety of member and stakeholder groups, including students, teachers, partners, association directors, national staff and alumni. Stone Ward marketing agency was contracted to create an in-depth branding survey that was released to students, advisors and industry partners in late 2022. The survey produced valuable data that helped guide the writing of the new branding positioning statements and organizational personality. The full report on that data can be viewed here

Further research was conducted at delegate committee meetings during the 2022 NLSC and through additional stakeholder surveys conducted by the national office.

Highlights of the strategy include a new SkillsUSA Brand Personality (see above) a main positioning statement (“SkillsUSA is America’s proud champion of the skilled trades.”), identification of main audience groups, a collection of “owned” words and phrases, key messages and more. The full working draft of the Brand Strategy can be viewed here .

While portions of the strategy are still under review, implementation of other elements has already begun at the national level. SkillsUSA will begin rolling out the strategy to state associations and local chapters next school year. The ultimate goal is a unified SkillsUSA brand that is consistently reflected at all levels of the organization. Achieving this goal is one of the keys to SkillsUSA’s growth, which is ultimately measured not in statistics, but by the lives our mission changes for the better.

ONLINE ADVANCES

Engaging our online community is crucial to SkillsUSA’s communications goals, and we made some big strides in FY23 toward strengthening and expanding that community.

S kills USA WEBSITE REBUILD

The SkillsUSA website saw 4,333,271 visits by 1,487,962 users this year. This compares to 1,952,633 visits among 1,124,940 users in FY22. While the increase is substantial, especially in the area of overall visits, it also underscores the need for another large-scale project we began in late FY22: to completely rebuild the SkillsUSA website.

This process also began with stakeholder research, once again conducted by Stone Ward marketing agency. A “card sort” activity was conducted among representatives of various SkillsUSA stakeholder groups designed to create a more user-friendly, intuitive navigational structure for a site that had become unwieldy and overloaded with information. The full results of that study can be found here .

Once a new navigational structure was created, work began on rewriting all text on the current site, the intention being to create a far less text-heavy experience for users. A new style guide was also created for the site, and full development began in late March. The new SkillsUSA website is expected to launch in late July/ early August. It will be a more user-friendly and publicfacing site designed to quickly and easily explain who we are and what we do to the general public while offering easy access to important membership information.

SOCIAL MEDIA FOCUS

SkillsUSA increased our efforts to expand our social media presence in FY23, which began with a focused strategy on which platforms demanded the most attention. Among our official Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, SkillsUSA has reached a net of 102,208 followers, an increase of 12,690 from FY22. A focus on TikTok has resulted

in 162,000 video views (a +1,205.5% increase), 8485 profile views (+849.7%), 17,000 likes (+2,133.7%) and 826 comments (+1,695.7%) Other new social media initiatives include the creation of SkillsUSA Instagram sub-accounts, enhancing engagement through new onsite experiences at NLSC and WLTI, maximizing the individual posting needs of each platform and focusing on creating exciting and appealing content for students.

S kills USA CHAMPIONS DIGITAL HUB

SkillsUSA Champions digital magazine continues to be the main source of storytelling for members. The site produced 17,487 visits by 15,637 users in FY23 (through May 15, 2023). We also saw an increase in the amount of story ideas being submitted to the digital magazine from our members. This fiscal year, our team of writers produced 35 unique weekly stories about individuals or schools, stories that highlight the success of our SkillsUSA mission nationwide. View the latest SkillsUSA “Feature” and “Spotlight” articles here .

MORE PR AND ADVOCACY

Public relations and advocacy efforts were another highlight to a groundbreaking year. Examples of those efforts can be found throughout this document, from SkillsUSA National Signing Day (see Page 12) to the advocacy visits students conducted on Capitol Hill during WLTI (See Page 10). Additional highlights in these areas are shared below. From social media campaigns to representation at the White House, SkillsUSA continued to increase our visibility as America’s proud champion of the skilled trades.

SHARING MORE STORIES

SkillsUSA was mentioned in a total of 6,573 stories across the nation in FY23. That number includes 5,373 news clippings and 1,200 broadcast stories. Nearly 4,400 press releases were sent as media alerts announcing last year’s NLSC medalists and SkillPoint recipients.

The #MadeInSkillsUSA social media campaign was developed to showcase the great work our members do every day in their programs. Students were asked to share photos or videos highlighting their skills using the program’s hashtag. Our social media followers connected with each other through their love for SkillsUSA as they submitted photos of construction projects, welding sculptures, baked goods, culinary creations, beautiful hairstyles, cars — and themselves.

AMBASSADOR FOR THE SKILLED TRADES

Executive director Chelle Travis traveled heavily this year to personally advocate for SkillsUSA and CTE, attending six State Leadership & Skills Conferences, the ACTE CareerTech VISION conference, the SAiL Conference in Massachusetts, local chapter SkillsUSA Week events, SkillsUSA National Signing Day in Michigan, and numerous partner events and meetings.

Travis also joined other nonprofit leaders and government officials at the White House on Nov. 2 to celebrate the Infrastructure Talent Pipeline Challenge. The group joined President Biden in the East Room of the White House to honor commitments made by more than 350 organizations since the challenge launched last June. Read the full story of this visit on the SkillsUSA Champions digital hub.

Partnerships and Fundraising

INCREASING SUPPORT

We expanded our partnerships reach in FY23, providing more detailed information on partnership opportunities and doubling the size of the fundraising team. We are on track for the largest year of cash donations in our history, with $5.9 million as of June 6, 2023. (Yearly totals in the graph below include in-kind donations.)

SUPPORTING THE TRADES

Carhartt and Tractor Supply Company (TSC) stepped up once again in 2023 with a $150,000 donation to SkillsUSA through their second annual Support the Trades campaign last fall. As part of the campaign, Carhartt and TSC showcased their line of “Support the Trades” shirts at TSC stores and online. A portion of the proceeds from every shirt sold was donated to SkillsUSA. Members showed their pride for the skilled trades while proudly representing SkillsUSA and the champions who keep our nation moving.

SCHOLARSHIPS GROW

ENHANCED PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES

Enhanced collateral materials were developed for all SkillsUSA partnership opportunities. This included opportunities to support all major SkillsUSA programs and events, including the State Director Professional Development Training Conference, SkillsUSA Week, WLTI, SkillsUSA National Signing Day and the National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC). In addition, several creative marketing opportunities for the NLSC were released to highlight our partners, and the SkillsUSA Championships floor was redesigned to highlight competition clusters and related exhibits more effectively. Download the Partner Opportunities and SkillsUSA TECHSPO Prospectus.

SkillsUSA partners have helped us achieve a record number of scholarships in FY23, including merit-based scholarships; SkillsUSA Championships scholarships; and travel scholarships to the NLSC, WLTI and Leverage. The total amount donated to various scholarships during FY23 was $1,824,912. Companies that supported scholarships include Aerotek, the Gene Haas Foundation, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, Wolverine Boots, Lowe’s Companies, Fine Homebuilding/Taunton Press, Fieldpiece Instruments, Clifford H. “Ted” Rees, Jr. Scholarship Foundation, Ryder System, Inc., Adnan K. Quraishy Memorial Scholarship, Davis Bews, Heidelberg and Kimley-Horn.

PARTNERSHIPS AND FUNDRAISING

GIVING TUESDAY DOUBLES UP

The SkillsUSA Giving Tuesday campaign, connected to the global philanthropy movement, saw its most successful year ever. Ariat generously matched this year’s campaign donations, and the total raised was $25,355 through 38 donations.

HOPE FUND SUPPORTS CHAPTERS

Through the SkillsUSA Hope Fund, grants are available to assist student members who are experiencing financial or personal crisis to propel their education and career pathways, as well as to assist SkillsUSA chapters that have experienced a big loss due to a natural disaster. In FY23, six grants have been approved for students or chapters in need.

STATE CONNECTIONS

Our state and territory associations are invaluable to SkillsUSA’s mission. Many have their own partnerships and programs yet have demonstrated a desire for additional fundraising strategy and support. During FY23, the BPD team provided fundraising resources, templates, and direct support to over 20 states. A total of $663,000 was provided in direct support to state associations and chapters through national partnerships.

Administration and Finance

A STRONG POSITION

SkillsUSA is in a strong financial position. We continue to maintain a strong cash and investment balance to support operations.

In FY22, 92% of expenses went directly toward programs that benefit our members. We also received $1,235,592 in Paycheck Protection Funds as well as employee retention tax credits .

In a five-year trend, cash and investments have increased by 21%. View our FY22 audited financial statements

FUNDRAISING (3%) PROGRAMS (92%)

MANAGEMENT (5%)

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CENTER UPDATE

Our National Leadership Center was officially sold on June 2, 2023. Select staff operations will be continuing in the building (rent-free) until September 30. SkillsUSA has established three workgroups to support the transition. One is focused on preserving the historic artifacts that reside in and around the building, giving these items the honor they deserve as we determine where legacy items will reside. Another workgroup is researching how to invest the sale proceeds while the third workgroup is focused on finding a new home for SkillsUSA in Loudoun County, Va. Updates will be provided by these board-directed workgroups as decisions are made.

Customer Care Team Hours

Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (et)

Tuesday/Thursday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (et)

n CALL 844-875-4557

n CHAT on the membership registration page

n EMAIL customercare@skillsusa.org

www.skillsusa.org