Photo by Craig Moore.
Wearing vibrant state-themed attire and armed with confidence, students lit up downtown Atlanta as they arrived for the 2025 National Leadership & Skills Conference held June 23-27, 2025, prepared to compete in national contests showcasing their job skills — from welding and web development to healthcare and robotics. These competitors weren’t just chasing medals — they were proving their career-readiness to top industry professionals and future employers. With more than 41,500 hotel nights booked and a projected $32.3 million economic impact on the city, Atlanta rolled out the red carpet for a workforce showcase like no other. The final count for all registered NLSC 2025 attendees was an incredible record-breaking 19, 019!
A Citywide Skills Showcase
From sunup to sundown, students filled the halls of the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) and State Farm Arena with their determination, enthusiasm and state pride. With 114 national competitions, delegate sessions, the Academy of Excellence, SkillsUSA University and a dynamic Workforce Development Summit, every attendee and stakeholder had a chance to learn, lead and level up.
At the center of it all: community and connection. Pin trading sparked friendships, state chants echoed through hotel lobbies and the SkillsUSA Store buzzed with energy as attendees grabbed official gear and souvenirs for proud families back home.
Celebrating Champions
The heart of NLSC was the stunning SkillsUSA Championships. With 6,880 top student competitors vying in 114 events, this was our skilled trades Super Bowl. Every student on the competition floor had already proven themselves the best in their state — now they were aiming for national gold. The medal count told its own story: SkillsUSA Texas took top honors with 81 national medals, SkillsUSA North Carolina followed with 78 medals and SkillsUSA Oklahoma earned 66 medals.
But the celebration didn’t stop with medal counts. Competitors like 69-year-old Fredericka Velasco from California (Job Interview) and 11-year-old Harper Chapman from South Carolina (Prepared Speech) proved that SkillsUSA is truly a community and a space for everyone, at every stage of learning, from the oldest to the youngest. If you wanted to be at NLSC, you were welcome!
TECHSPO and the Power of Possibility
Surrounding the exciting national competitions, the ever-growing SkillsUSA TECHSPO captivated attendees with 230 booths and 72,500 square feet of cutting-edge exhibits across all three GWCC halls. Aligned by career clusters and spanning an astounding 1.79 million square feet (yes, 41 football fields!), the combined competitions and expo formed a hands-on, high-tech world of opportunity.
Attendees explored the latest tools, tech and talent trends while engaging with partners through demos, games and giveaways. The interactive Skills Jam booth, complete with HGTV’s Ty Pennington and a full film crew, captured the spirit of skilled trades with interviews, short-form content capture and a colorful, can’t-miss production zone. Meanwhile, the wildly popular Expedition SkillsUSA challenge drew 1,460 participants and logged over 14,000 submissions across the week as members completed new missions each day.
A Lasting Impact
More than just an event, NLSC 2025 changed lives. Students left with new skills, new confidence and a renewed sense of purpose. Industry partners left inspired by the talent pipeline they helped shape. And the nation took one more step toward closing the skilled workforce gap — one future leader at a time.
What People Are Saying About NLSC
The 2025 National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) wasn’t just an event — it was an electrifying celebration of career and technical education. From students and teachers to industry leaders, voices across the nation weighed in on the impact, energy and opportunities at this year’s conference.
Harper Chapman, age 11, was the youngest competitor in the 2025 SkillsUSA Championships. The SkillsUSA South Carolina middle school student came in 4th in Prepared Speech in the middle school category. “This conference was inspiring, fun and energetic. There were tons of awesome vendors and plenty to keep me busy,” said Harper of her first conference experience, “I loved the Opening Session, trading pins, participating in the community service project as well as competing.” Her dad, Joseph Chapman, is the Center for Advanced Technical Studies lead SkillsUSA advisor and this year the National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) was a family affair with him, his wife and Harper all attending. “I talk about SkillsUSA all the time,” Chapman says, so he was excited for them to experience NLSC as a family.
Katie George, director of strategic partnerships at Transfr Inc. called NLSC an inspiring week. “As an official partner of SkillsUSA, we’re committed to bridging the gap between education and industry and preparing learners for real-world success. From our TECHSPO booth to the Advisors Call to Action, the Workforce Development Summit and the Business Roundtable Dinner, every moment at the SkillsUSA conference reinforced the power of business and education working together. We’re leaving energized, aligned and ready to continue moving the needle forward for workforce development nationwide.”
Westfield Technical Academy (WTA) 2025 Internet Technology student Brady LePage brought back a second gold medal win for Internet of Things: Smart Home technology from the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference. “It’s not often that we get to boast about being the absolute best in something. What if you get to do it twice?” Westfield Technical Academy school administrator Principal Bruce Hastings posted on social media after the two-time national win. “Brady flew into the NLSC with a big task — doing it all over again. First gold medal winner for WTA and he went right back to show it was no fluke.” The Internet of Things (IoT) Smart Home competition tests each competitor’s knowledge and skills in the field of home technology integration.
SkillsUSA national officer Cooper Kias of California called the 2025 NLSC both a professional milestone and a personal turning point. “As I stepped onto that stage as a national officer, I wasn’t just speaking as a leader. I was showing up fully as myself … a student with epilepsy, autism and a deep belief in the power of inclusion and advocacy. This year has tested me in ways I never expected. But walking through the competition floor, seeing students cheer each other on, participating in sessions where real collaboration and leadership took place, it reminded me why I believe so fiercely in this organization. I was honored to share my journey and to meet industry leaders like Snap-on’s CEO Nick Pinchuk. But more than any speech or photo op, what I’ll carry with me is the quiet strength of students who show up — every single day — even when systems don’t make it easy for them to do so. To every advisor, member and partner who saw me — not just as a title or role, but someone navigating complex challenges — thank you for making room for me. I will keep advocating for a SkillsUSA where every student, regardless of ability, background or identity, feels seen, supported and empowered to lead.”
On the Web
• SkillsUSA’s Flickr Collection from NLSC 2025
• SkillsUSA Opening Session video
• SkillsUSA Awards Session video
