The SkillsUSA’s 59th Annual Leadership Conference Is Set for Atlanta, GA June 19-23

Elena Johnson OSU Journalism contributed to this article

STILLWATER, OK (06.16.23) – SkillsUSA prepares students for the workforce and students in the Mobile Electronics Division will compete for recognition at the national competition in Atlanta. The conference will be held at the Georgia World Conferencee Center in Atlanta and attract over 6500 competitors in 110 competitions.

KICKER Audio is a strong supporter of the SkillsUSA initiative. Aaron Malin, TECH Force Global Training Manager, has participated in previous SkillsUSA National Conferences. Malin and Jacob Luckey are headed to Atlanta for the 2023 Skills USA Conference.

*Aaron Malin working with one of the students at the local SkillsUSA local session in Stillwater. After the event the 4 winners were bussed to KICKER’s HQ for lunch and a tour.*

In April, the local SkillsUSA Mobile Electronics Installation competition was held at the Meridian Technology Center in Stillwater OK, Malin was on site as students prepared to showcase their installation and communication skills to judges, and the stakes were high with only three winning spots available for the State high school and secondary/college level competition.

“Each student was prepared to perform to their best abilities for the judges. Some of the stations included soldering, wiring speakers and identifying components. Students were judged on their proficiency in those particular skills and only the top four were chosen to go to state competitions” Malin stated..

*Jacob Luckey observes one of the students working on a speaker template.*

The Oklahoma state SkillsUSA competition was held on April 25th at the Cox Convention Center in Tulsa. Kicker Global Trainer Jacob Luckey was in the house and presented some of the awards. “The experience was great. It was awesome to see the excitement on the faces and be able to see the students working toward their goals. The conference was well attended and put together” Luckey commented.

SkillsUSA works to bring motivated individuals to the workforce and teach them lifelong skills. There are local, state and national competitions with 53 states participating, according to SkillsUSA.org. Its mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens.

*The four winning students in the KICKER HQ lobby during their tour.*

The 12-volt industry is in need of more sharp-minded employees to bring new ideas to the table. The overall employment of mobile electronics installers and technicians is projected to show little to no change from 2021 to 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics years.

“We hear from retailers on a regular basis that they cannot find qualified people to hire,” related Malin. “Take out qualified… they can’t find people to hire.” Malin will again be one of the judges for the National SkillsUSA competition and has been judging for two years. Malin added that many of the students are put in a position where they can find a suitable job by participating in SkillsUSA national conference.

“There are 110 different categories of competition within SkillsUSA,” Malin said. “Each category stresses various aspects of the real-world workplace…so when students qualify for the national event they are positioned to enter the job market.”

Through SkillsUSA, students have the opportunity to learn valuable lessons and make lifelong friends. “It is always exciting when you see the ‘lightbulb’ moment as something really clicks in the mind of a student,” Malin said. “The ‘ah hah!’ that lets you know they really got it! Last year at the national competition in Atlanta, one young man was so excited to introduce me to his mom and siblings after we really connected during his job interview competition. He experienced my admiration and his family’s proud moment, all at the same time.”

*This student showing his soldering skills to the judge.*

The SkillsUSA State Conference in Tulsa was a chance for local champions to compete for a spot at Nationals and make new valuable connections. “The students that competed got to meet industry partners that are looking for skilled employees and got to make friends with the other competitors and had new experiences while at state” Emily Goff, State SkillsUSA Director, stated.

“Students not only receive valuable skills from these events, but also priceless communication skills. From difficult interviews, to speaking with industry professionals and presenting their skills they also learn difficult communication skills” stated Chris Jack, Technical Chairperson for mobile electronics installation, for SkillsUSA. “My father always said that “I don’t care if you’re going to wipe up dirt off the floor, wear a suit and tie to an interview…no matter what it’s for.”

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce, according to SkillsUSA.org. Students excel and often have the opportunity to secure jobs at competitions. “Almost every year, one of my winners has been offered a job before they left the contest,” Jack said.

Concluding Malin commented “The12volt industry needs workers more than ever, and SkillsUSA helps to ensure that they are proficient in their trade. I would like to encourage other 12-volt industry members and manufacturers to get involved with SkillsUSA at their local, state and national level. As an industry, we need those young men and women to join us in our very exciting and quickly evolving industry.”