SkillsUSA joined corporate executives, policymakers, and workforce advocates Sept. 30 at Michigan Central in Detroit for Ford Motor Company’s annual ACCELERATE event. The convening focused on cross-sector solutions to rebuild America’s technical workforce and address the critical shortage of skilled technicians across the essential economy.
SkillsUSA’s Executive Director Chelle Travis and James Cahill, WorldSkills USA’s automobile technology competitor, participated in a panel discussion on building the talent pipeline and busting persistent stigmas about skilled careers. Cahill, who returned from Shanghai after competing in the WorldSkills Competition days prior, called for more public and private investment in career and technical education students.
Ford and its partners are doing just that. During ACCELERATE Ford announced the expansion of the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades—which added 14 major companies to broaden nationwide training access—and initiatives targeting systemic career barriers, such as transportation and early technical education access.They also released new research from “The State of America’s Skilled Trades: A National Report”, detailing the opportunity for young adults to fill an estimated 1.7 million open skilled trades positions.
“Attending Ford’s ACCELERATE event underscores the crucial link between career and technical education and the health of our economy,” Travis said. “With millions of essential trades positions needing qualified talent, hearing and seeing SkillsUSA’s members proves that young people are ready to lead—we just need to give them the clear pathways and industry access to get there.”
Also part of the day’s events, SkillsUSA Michigan students from Oakland Schools Technical Center Northeast Campus demonstrated carpentry skills with a hands-on roof framing experience and welding students from St. Clair County Technical Education Center displayed award winning welding sculptures.
By uniting education, major corporations, and policy leaders, Ford’s ACCELERATE event highlighted how investments in hands-on CTE programs directly strengthen the workforce pipeline for local dealerships, service centers, and modern manufacturing nationwide.
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