SkillsUSA National Signing Day Earns National Recognition
Published: May 11, 2021
On May 4, SkillsUSA celebrated a successful SkillsUSA National Signing Day, working with industry partners to highlight the value of skilled trades careers. The nationally recognized event spotlighted career and technical education students for their dedication to career readiness and their commitment to forge a career path in a trade they’re passionate about. Hundreds of SkillsUSA schools in 27 states and Puerto Rico participated in the 2021 event — most virtually, but some in-person — honoring students across the country.
This year’s partners for SkillsUSA National Signing Day were The Home Depot, Klein Tools, 84 Lumber and NC3, and each played a vital role in the day’s success. A highlight came early, when two SkillsUSA students appeared live on “Good Morning America” (GMA) and were surprised with scholarships from 84 Lumber, part of the $50,000 in scholarships they delivered on the day. The Home Depot supplied $30,000 in scholarships, and Klein Tools provided merchandise and tools to help students on their career journeys. NFL quarterback Jimmy Garoppolos and NFL Hall-of-Famer Jerome Bettis also served as spokespersons for the event, appearing on a variety of media outlets throughout the day to promote the skilled trades and our students. Look for a compilation of media clips soon. In the meantime, visit this page for more details, photos and video, including a link to the GMA segment.
SkillsUSA has named Bryan Raeckelboom, a Building Construction Instructor at the Golden Strip Career Center in Greenville, S.C., as its National Advisor of the Year.
With the American economy facing a widening skills gap — marked by millions of essential, high-paying technical jobs left unfilled — SkillsUSA has officially announced the election of its 2026-27 National Officer Team.
