The 2026 SkillsUSA Conference Wraps Today

ATLANTA, GA (06.05.26) – KICKER is once again working with SkillsUSA to eventually put installers into the workforce. KICKER Tech Force manager Aaron Malin and trainer Jacob Luckey are judging at the SkillsUSA Championships June 1-5, during SkillsUSA’s annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta. The SkillsUSA Championships is the premier showcase of America’s most highly skilled career and technical education students.

An overview of the 12volt area with many judging stations.
Ryan Chin from Subsonics, judging parallel and series speaker wiring.

Chris Jack and Bryan Gary with SkillsUSA are on site. Bryan trailered his competition car from Oklahoma and is on doing demos.

The Mobile-Electronics Installation category tests competitors’ abilities to perform standard installation practices used by certified, professional mobile-electronics installers, and established for the Basic MECP certification by the Consumer Electronics Association. The competition includes a written exam, interviews, and multiple hands-on applications.

Aaron Malin from KICKER in the process of judging a job interview.
Bryan Gary, SkillsUSA Co-Chair, judging identifying problem with wires.

“We need these young men and women to join us in our quickly evolving industry,” said Malin, the supervisor of KICKER’s global training. “SkillsUSA’s competitive categories stress various aspects of the real-world workplace, so when students graduate, they are positioned to immediately contribute on the job.”

For consecutive years, KICKER has been involved with SkillsUSA’s mission on national and local levels, and this year the brand is donating more than $5,000 in prizes to the winners of the 12-volt competitions.

The SkillsUSA NLSC event is happening at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta June 1-5.

Visit kicker.com for more.