SkillsUSA Washington

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SkillsUSA Washington

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Welcome to SkillsUSA Washington! We empower students with the skills for successful careers through dynamic programs, competitions, and partnerships.

Join us in building a skilled workforce ready to lead, innovate, and make a difference. Whether you’re in middle school, high school, or college/postsecondary, we’re here to help you prepare for a successful career in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. Join our community of students, teachers, and industry partners working together to build a skilled workforce for the future. Excel with SkillsUSA Washington today!

11/05/2026

Advocacy starts with a conversation. This week, our Director of Public Relations, Bettie Rae Woolworth of Coupeville High School, wrote to Senator Liz Lovelett. Her letter introduces SkillsUSA Washington and thanks the senator for supporting career and technical education. It also shares how Skagit County students showed their skills in automotive technology and leadership at regionals, earning spots at the state conference. Thank you, Sen. Liz Lovelett for investing in Washington's future workforce.

11/04/2026

Keep CTE in Washington's diploma. During the 2027 legislative session, lawmakers will consider the State Board of Education's FutureReady proposal, which would remove career and technical education from the core credits every student must complete. When CTE becomes optional, enrollment and funding follow, and small and rural schools have the most to lose. Students, advisors, parents and employers: use our letter template to tell your legislators why CTE matters to you. Add your story, ask them to keep CTE a core graduation requirement and send it this week. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GOpcuYqgs7Pyp4rJKL-mv8JNqf3HBTFi5S9KtBpbCzE/template/preview

11/03/2026

Our state officers, one sentence: "Because of CTE, I..." Hear what career and technical education has meant to the students leading SkillsUSA Washington this year, and why every student deserves the same chance.

11/03/2026

We asked our state officers to finish one sentence: "Because of CTE, I..." Their answers cover finding a career path, learning to lead, making lifelong friends, and preparing for in-demand automotive jobs. Swipe to hear it in their own words. How would you finish it?

11/02/2026

This week is CTE Advocacy Week in Washington, five days dedicated to showing lawmakers, families, and communities what Career and Technical Education makes possible for students. SkillsUSA Washington is partnering with Washington State FBLA because CTE is bigger than any one organization. From the shop floor to the boardroom, our members are building the technical, business, and leadership skills that power Washington’s workforce, and we’re stronger telling that story together.

This is CTE in Washington. Swipe through to see SkillsUSA members at work. At Pierce County Skills Center, automotive technology students are learning the assembly and parts of a drum brake, and ITS and cybersecurity students are working on servers and checking connections. Electrical students are building circuits and inspecting another team’s work for quality. Every one of these skills leads to a career Washington needs filled, and that’s why CTE matters.

10/28/2026

Last call, advisors and industry partners! The deadline to sign up as a Regional Contest host is this Saturday, October 31. Hosting a contest is one of the best ways to put students in front of real-world standards and help them level up before state. If you’ve been thinking about it, reach out to your regional coordinator before the weekend to get on the list.

10/26/2026

Behind every strong SkillsUSA chapter is an advisor who sees potential in students and creates room for it to grow. Erik Flodin from Central Valley High School - Spokane Valley is one of those advisors.

Erik teaches engineering, physics, and math at Central Valley High School and serves as a SkillsUSA advisor. We asked him what he values most about the role, and his answer says it all:

“What I value most about being a SkillsUSA advisor is the privilege of getting to support young engineers in an environment where their natural curiosity around all things engineering can be unlocked and set free into awesomeness!”

Thank you, Erik, for giving your students the space to explore, build, and grow. Know an advisor who deserves a spotlight? Tell us in the comments!

10/22/2026

The October newsletter is out! October is one of the busiest months of the SkillsUSA year, and this issue is packed with ways to get involved.

Inside, you’ll find how to apply for Make48 at NLSC 2027, plans for CTE Advocacy Week with FBLA Washington (November 2–6), a last call for gala auction donations, and how your school or business can host a regional competition. We’re also celebrating Matt Johnson, Eric Matson, and Lance Landis, our three Harbor Freight Prize for Teaching Excellence winners, and sharing the 2027 NLSC Pin and T-shirt Design Challenge, upcoming competition webinars, and advisor resources.

Several deadlines are coming up fast, including Make48 applications and auction donations on October 30 and regional host sign-ups on October 31.

Read the full newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/799eceb426ba/osc7cbawko

10/21/2026

Shoutout to White River High School!

White River's weld and manufacturing advisory board recently hosted an after-school welding clinic where SkillsUSA members worked alongside industry professionals on donated excavator buckets. Students also recently ran a pop-up booth selling projects they built in class.

Thank you to Brandon Campbell and Thomas Alvord at Central Welding Supply and Martin at DDJ Construction Welding, Inc. for the bucket donations, Select-Arc, Inc. for the consumables and welding wire, and CTE instructor Zzachary Mcdonell for creating these opportunities.

10/20/2026

Our state-only Design Challenges are officially open!

SkillsUSA Washington designers, artists, and creatives, this is your chance to create something that members across the state will wear and trade. In the Branding Challenge, students create a design package that reflects our 2026–27 theme, Level Up, along with the state of Washington and SkillsUSA. The Pacific Northwest Pin Challenge winner designs the pin given to every national qualifier from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The State Design Challenge determines the official Washington State Pin and T-shirt.

All challenges are open to middle school, high school, and college/postsecondary members, and submissions are completely online. Winners receive cash prizes and are recognized on stage at the State Leadership & Skills Conference.

Submissions are due January 31, 2027. Learn more: skillsusawashington.org/competitions/state-only/

Address

P. O. Box 2698
Olympia, WA
98507

Telephone

+13609048578

Website

https://skillsusawashington.org/

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