SkillsUSA Illinois Empowers Youth with Construction Opportunities

Founded in 1965, SkillsUSA has become one of the United States’ top student workforce development organizations. With nearly 400,000 current student, instructor and alumni participants, the nonprofit national career and technical education (CTE) association has served almost 14 million members through chapters nationwide 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. 

SkillsUSA Illinois — which is broken down into seven smaller regional areas — is a certified U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Intermediary, helping unite employers and schools for Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) in “the Prairie State.” The chapter supports apprentices from program start to finish, focusing on personal, workplace and technical skills, as well as long-term goals, which include developing productive members for their communities. 

Leading the Way 

In 2015, Eric Hill accepted the position of Executive Director of SkillsUSA Illinois. State association directors have the responsibility to oversee all school chapters within their state. In that role, one of Hill’s goals has been to partner with students, teachers 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 immerse yourself into the hands-on practical applications,” Hill said. “It lets you experience what life on the job will look like. Having that opportunity in high school is an incredible way to get a feel for what you want to do with your life.” 

Christopher Anderson, SkillsUSA Illinois Chief Operating Officer, is an equally passionate spokesperson for the chapter. Before working for state level, Anderson worked as a CTE instructor and ran the local SkillsUSA chapter at his school.  

“We want the students to be professionally and personally successful,” Anderson said. 

Both Anderson and Hill’s association with SkillsUSA goes back further. As teenagers both were once enrolled as students in the SkillsUSA Illinois program, and it’s a reason they now work for the organization. They believe in the results and outcomes having been through the program themselves.  

They also believe in the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) curriculum that’s being taught to the students. Currently, 13 schools in the Chicago Public School 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 they should be teaching middle school, high school and college students because it aligns with their standards. The NCCER curriculum stood out and caught the attention of SkillsUSA Illinois instructors. 

Hill highlighted the benefit of the NCCER partnership. “Every area that NCCER serves helps SkillsUSA Illinois talk to the schools. It makes talking to schools to get them involved so much easier. It’s not just pitching SkillsUSA but the full package — it’s far easier to promote SkillsUSA with NCCER together and show the value of it to the schools.” 

Anderson also believes NCCER has helped with marketing and recruitment. “Since starting the NCCER program, SkillsUSA Illinois has been inundated with people who want to be involved so they haven’t had to focus on outreach over the past year.” 

Hill highlighted the benefits students receive from the NCCER association. “Anytime we are talking about a nationally recognized credential, which the curriculum offers, just the fact that you have one helps you stand out on a resume.”  

SkillsUSA Illinois — A Conduit to the Future 

SkillsUSA Illinois helps young people develop technical, personal and workplace skills through pre-apprenticeship paths. Utilizing the skills acquired through knowledge and competition, the organization strives to help employers rethink perceptions of what a student looks like in their workforce and to view them as a conduit to potential future employment. 

Today’s need for skilled workers is a well-known industry issue. There is no better craft candidate than a student who is trained with work experience like those from SkillsUSA. Working together with students, teachers and industry, SkillsUSA and SkillsUSA Illinois are ensuring America has the necessary skilled workforce it needs.