Founded in 1965, SkillsUSA has become one of America’s leading student workforce development organizations. With nearly 400,000 current student, instructor and alumni participants, the national nonprofit career and technical education (CTE) association has served nearly 14 million members through chapters across the country since its inception.
One of the founding state chapters of the association was SkillsUSA Illinois. Today, the chapter continues to empower Illinois youth with opportunities to learn craft skills, develop career goals, and better themselves and their communities for the future.
Divided into seven smaller regional areas, SkillsUSA Illinois is a certified US Department of Labor Learning Broker, helping to connect employers and schools for Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) in the “Prairie State.” The chapter supports learners from the beginning to the end of the program, focusing on personal, work and technical skills, as well as long-term goals, which include developing productive members of their communities.
Leading the way
In 2015, Eric Hill accepted the position of Executive Director of SkillsUSA Illinois. State association directors are responsible for overseeing all school chapters in their state. In this role, one of Hill’s goals has been to partner with students, faculty and industry to ensure the future development of America’s workforce and help them succeed in their chosen career field.
“One of the most impactful things about SkillsUSA for a student is being able to step outside the walls of the classroom and dive into the hands-on practical applications,” Hill said. “It allows you to experience what life will be like on the job. Having this opportunity in high school is an amazing way to get an idea of what you want to do with your life.”
Christopher Anderson, director of operations for SkillsUSA Illinois, is an equally passionate spokesperson for the chapter. Prior to working at the state level, Anderson worked as a CTE instructor and led the local SkillsUSA chapter at her school.
“We want students to succeed professionally and personally,” Anderson said.
Anderson and Hill’s association with SkillsUSA goes back further. As teenagers, both were enrolled as students in the SkillsUSA Illinois program, which is one reason they now work for the organization. They believe in the results and the results they have gone through the program themselves.
They also believe in the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) curriculum being taught to students. Currently, 13 schools in the Chicago Public Schools system are on board with the curriculum, as well as other schools across the state.
SkillsUSA and NCCER Partnership
SkillsUSA Illinois has endorsed NCCER and believes this is what middle, high school, and college students should be taught because it aligns with their standards. The NCCER curriculum stood out and caught the attention of the SkillsUSA Illinois instructors.
Hill emphasized the benefit of the NCCER partnership. “Every area that NCCER serves helps SkillsUSA Illinois talk to schools. It makes it so much easier to talk to schools to get them involved. It’s not just about presenting SkillsUSA, it’s the whole package — it’s much easier to promote SkillsUSA with NCCER together and show the value to schools.”
Anderson also believes NCCER has helped with marketing and recruiting. “Since the NCCER program began, SkillsUSA Illinois has been inundated with people wanting to participate, so they haven’t had to focus on outreach for the past year.”
Hill highlighted the benefits students receive from the NCCER partnership. “Whenever we’re talking about a nationally recognized credential, which the curriculum offers, just having it helps you stand out on a resume.”
SkillsUSA Illinois: A Conduit to the Future
SkillsUSA Illinois helps youth develop technical, personal and work skills through pre-apprenticeship pathways. Using the skills gained through knowledge and competence, the organization strives to help employers rethink perceptions of what a student is like in their workforce and see them as a conduit for potential future employment.
The current need for skilled workers is a well-known industry problem. There is no better craft candidate than a trained student with work experience like those at SkillsUSA. Working together with students, teachers and industry, SkillsUSA and SkillsUSA Illinois ensure America has the necessary skilled workforce it needs.
