SkillsUSA joins forces with TikTok, Skilled Careers Coalition to spark interest in skilled trades

SkillsUSA Contact:
Clare Briner
cbriner@skillsusa.org

With a shared vision to elevate the skilled trades and meet the growing demand for skilled talent, Skilled Careers Coalition (SCC) and SkillsUSA today announced a strategic partnership with TikTok. The partnership will leverage Skilled Career Coalition’s growing for youth, by youth platform, SKILLS JAM, which has helped amplify the excitement of skilled careers through entertaining short- and long-form content, and a growing wave of skilled trade creators on TikTok, who tell the behind-the-scenes stories of their work, share tips, and help educate others about their professions.

The collaboration, which underscores how TikTok is becoming the go-to destination for career exploration and inspiration, highlights how creators can influence students’ interest in trade schools, apprenticeships, and high-demand CTE careers.

Said Mark Hedstrom, Executive Director, Skilled Careers Coalition, “The skilled trades are the backbone of America’s economic engine, but the widening skilled labor gap is threatening entire industries, including booming sectors like manufacturing, construction, robotics and others. From high schoolers to those in career transition, by working together with key partners such as TikTok, we can move further faster to rebuild the great American workforce and meet the demand for skilled talent today and long-term.”

Said Michael Beckerman, Vice President and Head of Americas Public Policy, TikTok, “Every day, we see incredible creators on TikTok showcasing what life is really like in the trades—from welding tips to day-in-the-life content that inspires career changes and sparks curiosity. This partnership will help bring greater visibility to those stories, while also qualifying some of this content for TikTok’s STEM feed—broadening its reach and impact even further. By shining a spotlight on skilled trades, we’re not only celebrating this essential work, but also helping to drive interest and create new job opportunities in industries that need talent.”

Together, SCC and TikTok will be producing unique content that brings young people and TikTok skilled trade creators together as part of a series of local market workforce development events to be scheduled across the country, including at SkillsUSA’s annual National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta June 23-27, 2025. With more than 6,000 students competing across more than 100 skilled categories, the conference is the largest, longest-running gathering of aspiring skilled trades professionals in the U.S.

“SkillsUSA students have the personal, workplace and technical skills that employers are looking for,” said Chelle Travis, Executive Director of SkillsUSA. “We truly bridge the gap between education and industry ensuring the next generation of skilled professionals and leaders are career ready. Our partnership with SCC and TikTok opens new doors for students and is a testament to the power of collaboration.”

According to Thumbtack’s Future of Skilled Trade report, TikTok creators— especially small business owners— are offering a raw, unfiltered look into life in the trades, spotlighting everything from income potential to creative independence. The platform has become a powerful influence on Gen Z’s career choices.

Added SCC’s Hedstrom, “Skilled careers are fulfilling, high-paying, always-in-demand, and provide a fast, low-cost path to lifelong success. Through strategic partnerships with TikTok, SkillsUSA and others, Skilled Careers Coalition is building a skilled trade recruitment engine while helping to raise awareness about the endless possibilities, financial success, entrepreneurial control, and career satisfaction that a skilled career offers.”

About SkillsUSA 

SkillsUSA is the #1 workforce development organization for students, empowering them to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. SkillsUSA represents more than 442,000 career and technical education students and teachers in middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide. Those members represent 130 in-demand occupational areas, from 3-D animation to welding. A vital solution to the skills gap, SkillsUSA has served over 15 million members since its founding in 1965. Learn more at skillsusa.org.

About Skilled Careers Coalition

Skilled Careers Coalition (SCC) is on a mission to bring the youth of today to the skilled careers of tomorrow by revolutionizing this critical sector of the American workforce. A dramatic paradigm shift is taking place in both employment and education. With industries and organizations operating in silos, SCC is driving the connectivity needed between parents, skilled trade professionals, youth, educators, businesses, and brands to build a dynamic ecosystem that harnesses the talent needed to close the widening skills gap. To inspire, mentor and empower students to navigate the skilled careers landscape, Skilled Careers Coalition launched the social entertainment brand, SKILLS JAM in 2023. For more information or to get involved visit https://skilledcareers.org.

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video, with a mission to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok empowers its users to discover, create, and share content that reflects their passions and interests.