LEESBURG, Va. - SkillsUSA will be holding its 43rd National Leadership and Skills Conference and SkillsUSA Championships in Kansas City, Mo., June 25-29. The opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 26; leadership contests are on Wednesday; the hands-on skill contests are on Wednesday and Thursday; and the awards ceremony is on Friday evening. About 5,000 students will be competing in 87 contests. The contests cover several trade and education sectors, including construction technology, metal technology, food services, dental/medical/nursing, textile trades, school-to-career, design/graphics technology, cooperative education, electrical/electronic, personal services, general technology, transportation/aviation, and manufacturing/automation.

All contests are run by and judged by representatives of industry using industry performance standards. The total in-kind contributions from industry and education in donated time, equipment, and material is valued at $30 million.

For more information, visit www.skillsusa.org.

Publication date:04/30/2007