SkillsUSA Week 2026 Highlights the Power of CTE, Student Advocacy in Addressing the National Workforce Shortage

SkillsUSA Contact:
Clare Briner
cbriner@skillsusa.org

LEESBURG, VA. — SkillsUSA, the #1 workforce development organization for students, is proud to celebrate SkillsUSA Week 2026 from Feb. 2–6. Occurring during Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, this week serves as a powerful platform to showcase CTE programs as a primary solution to the nation’s skills gap, providing students with a clear pathway to high-wage, high-demand careers.

The value of CTE has never been more evident. CTE programs offer a 94% high school graduation rate—significantly higher than the national average of 85-87%, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education. Plus, involvement in a career and technical student organization like SkillsUSA only further boosts student engagement, completion and career readiness.

“Students who participate in SkillsUSA are more likely to earn industry certifications, meet potential employers, gain work experience, connect classroom learning to real-world applications, and achieve clarity about their career path,” said Chelle Travis, SkillsUSA’s Executive Director. “These outcomes are not just good for individual students—they are essential for closing our nation’s skills gap and ensuring American economic competitiveness.”

SkillsUSA Week highlights the achievements of more than 444,000 members across all 50 states, two territories and Washington D.C., demonstrating that technical education is a vital academic path.

“SkillsUSA Week is a celebration of the dignity of work and the brilliance of our students,” Travis said. “By integrating the industry-informed SkillsUSA Framework of personal, workplace, and technical skills into CTE classrooms, we are connecting education and industry to ensure our students are building the skills they need to be career-ready day one.”

This week is not only a celebration, but also a reminder to our communities and policymakers that investing in CTE is an economic imperative. SkillsUSA’s national officers–14 high school and college/postsecondary students elected by their peers to lead the organization–will travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with policymakers on Capitol Hill. SkillsUSA‘s legislative efforts focus on several key priorities: investment in the nation’s CTE infrastructure, protection and support for the role of CTE in public education, improvement in postsecondary CTE access, stronger connection to workforce development systems and growth of the CTE instructor pipeline.

While national officers meet Washington D.C., SkillsUSA students across the country will host a variety of activities in their schools and communities, including open houses, community service projects, industry chats, and more.

Learn more about SkillsUSA, SkillsUSA Week and the organization’s impact on CTE at skillsusa.org.

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 444,000 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 and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.