2024 SkillsUSA Championship and the Importance of Supporting Future Building Safety Professionals

The 2024 SkillsUSA Championships, held in Atlanta, Georgia from June 24-28, welcomed thousands of students, educators and industry professionals nationwide. This annual event celebrates the accomplishments of students in technical and skilled occupations, offering them opportunities to compete in a variety of skill-based contests.

It not only showcases the talents of these young professionals but also creates networking opportunities among students, potential employers, educators and industry experts. It is recognized as one of the world’s largest hands-on workforce development events.

This year’s competition gathered over 6,000 competitors across 115 different skill categories, representing technical and vocational schools from across the U.S. Competitions ranged from welding and carpentry to architectural drafting and building maintenance, reflecting the diverse skillsets needed in today’s job market.

“The scale of this event is truly indescribable. Although I have been involved with SkillsUSA for about nine years, this was my first time attending the national contest. To say I was blown away by what I witnessed would be an understatement,” said Bobby Horner, Assoc. AIA, SkillsUSA Tech Chair -Teamworks, Public Information Specialist of Development Services for the City of Waco, Texas.

The goal of the SkillsUSA Championships is to reward students for excellence, to involve the industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep classroom training relevant to employers’ needs. At the event, nearly 2,000 industry volunteers create, oversee and judge the competitions, each committed to supporting the next generation of skilled professionals.

Collaborating to Support the Next Generation of Building Safety Professionals

The event leveraged a strategic partnership with the International Code Council’s Region 8 chapter and the Building Officials Association of Georgia (BOAG), enriching the experience through collaborative efforts.

“During this event, I collaborated closely with the Code Council, which had a booth offering a “bird’s-eye” view of the Teamworks competition. Together with the Code Council and BOAG staff, I engaged with instructors interested in learning more about the Code Council’s Technical Training Program program. We also explained the purpose of building codes and how they integrate with the hands-on construction skills the students are acquiring,” said Horner.

The organizations worked together to promote the Code Council’s Technical Training Program (TTP), a flexible educational program based on the Code Council’s International Residential Code®. This program is divided into five disciplines: building, plumbing, HVAC (mechanical), electrical and energy.

This structure enables instructors to integrate one or more disciplines of the program into their current construction trade curricula to better prepare students for careers in the construction and building field.

“As a Texan, I am passionate about increasing the involvement of our industry partners at both the state and national levels. The more our industry understands and promotes SkillsUSA, the better we can highlight this training opportunity to students, counselors and parents across the country. We want students to recognize the promising careers available in the industry,” said Horner.

“In my role as the SkillsUSA Texas State Tech Chair for Teamworks, this event provided me with a valuable perspective on SkillsUSA’s national impact. Next year, secondary and post-secondary teams will compete side-by-side in Corpus Christi, Texas, at the SkillsUSA State competition.”

To learn more about the Code Council’s Technical Training Program and access other resources to support the next generation of building safety professionals, visit the Safety 2.0 webpage.