Suburban students headed to national SkillsUSA competition

Students from across Illinois earned awards, tested each other’s abilities and set themselves up for career success at the SkillsUSA Illinois Championships.

Over three days in late April, students converged on the Peoria Civic Center for the ultimate workforce development challenges — 150 competitions, judged by expert employers looking not only to crown champions but find young people who will become their next skilled workers.

Students competed in a wide variety of fields that don’t necessarily require a four-year college degree but need skilled training and competency beyond high school — manufacturing, human services and health care, hospitality, cosmetics, trade labor, electronics and much more.

Competitors raced the clock to see who could fix diesel engines, fly drones, sort out complicated computer code, and even put together photos and videos from the competition, to show how the SkillsUSA program has helped them develop the physical and mental skills and approach to be successful in their chosen career path.

The winners in each competition now advance to compete in the national SkillsUSA Championships this June in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit https://www.skillsusaillinois.org/the-championships.

The state championships come at the end of the school year. SkillsUSA advocates to give more students across Illinois the opportunity of an accelerated roadmap for their chosen careers. The organization held its first Lobby Day at the Illinois Capitol earlier this spring, bringing several dozen students to meet with legislators and advocate for expanded career and technical education (CTE) funding and options.

Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed adding $10 million to CTE funding in next year’s state budget. SkillsUSA will be advocating for that increase and other flexibility for programs like its own as the legislative session wraps in May.

“We’re grateful for our sponsors Caterpillar and the city of Peoria, and to the thousands of students, families, industry partners and volunteers who share our vision to connect our future generation to the careers that will support our economic growth and our communities,” said SkillsUSA Executive Director Eric Hill.

Among the list of SkillsUSA Illinois Championships event winners and participating schools were:

• Addison Trail High School in Addison

• Technology Center of DuPage in Addison

• Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove

• Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove Village

• York Community High School in Elmhurst

• Naperville Central High School in Naperville

• Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville

• Willowbrook High School in Villa Park

• College of Lake County in Grayslake

• Lake County Tech Campus in Grayslake

• Hampshire High School in Hampshire

• Maine West High School in Des Plaines

• William Rainey Harper College in Palatine

• Maine East High School in Park Ridge

• Maine South High School in Park Ridge

• Bolingbrook High School in Bolingbrook

• Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park

• Metea Valley High School in Aurora

• Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora

• West Aurora High School in Aurora

• Central High School in Burlington

• Geneva High School in Geneva

• St. Charles East High School in Saint Charles

• Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove