Students showcase trade skills at competitive event as the US aims to solve skilled labor shortage

The conference allowed 6,800 students to compete across different trades and leadership fields


Tens of thousands of students, educators, and industry leaders gathered this week in Atlanta for SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference — a major event spotlighting the future of skilled trades. The four-day conference, held from Tuesday to Friday, brought together more than 17,500 attendees, with 6,800 students competing in 114 different technical and leadership categories.

The event not only offered hands-on competitions but also featured keynote speeches, leadership training sessions, and networking opportunities between young talent and potential employers. According to the organization, it is considered the largest annual gathering of the next generation of skilled workers in the United States.

As demand for skilled labor continues to rise, over one million trade jobs remain unfilled nationwide. This shortage has been attributed to an aging workforce, early retirements, and a long-standing cultural emphasis on four-year college degrees over vocational training.

During the conference, the **Skilled Careers Coalition** — a group dedicated to bridging the gap between skilled trade professionals and industry leaders — hosted a series of initiatives aimed at addressing key challenges in workforce recruitment and retention.

“Thanks to our growing alliance of committed, like-minded partners, we are reaching young people where they are to influence career decisions while creating a robust pipeline for recruitment,” said Mark Hedstrom, executive director of the Skilled Careers Coalition.



One of the coalition’s events brought together influencers, government staff, and representatives from companies such as Lowe's, TikTok, and John Deere to explore how cross-sector collaboration can help close the skilled trades workforce gap and attract new talent.



Hedstrom emphasized the urgency of addressing the labor shortage:  
*"The time is now to move further and faster in addressing the gap between supply and demand for skilled talent as the sector faces even greater pressures from housing shortages, reshoring of manufacturing, and booming industries like robotics and mechatronics."



Meanwhile, recent college graduates are facing a tightening job market. New data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that employment conditions for entry-level workers have worsened significantly in early 2025.

According to Indeed, some of the highest-paying trade jobs in 2024 include:

- **Ultrasonographer**  
- **Respiratory Therapist**  
- **Dental Hygienist**  
- **Construction Manager**  
- **Airport Mechanic**

As the skilled trades continue to grow in both necessity and compensation, events like the SkillsUSA conference play a vital role in shaping the future of America’s workforce.