(ATLANTA, Georgia) – The sparks have died down in the welding booths. The hum of competitive drones flying around the large netted obstacle course has been reduced to silence. The medals have been awarded.
But the support for technical fields in the United States and its territories burns brightly as ever.
Several administrators from Texas State Technical College traveled for the first time to the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held June 1-5 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was there the eyes opened to the staggering size of technical education and its future.
Representatives of worldwide companies demonstrated their latest robots, students battled in contests such as Additive Manufacturing and Welding, and state and company pin trading and collecting became a sport.
SkillsUSA is a professional organization focused on employability, leadership and technical skills that help college students pursue successful careers and be part of a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA holds more than 100 contests at the state and national levels in which students can compete.
Jonathan Hoekstra, TSTC’s executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer, is the highest-ranking member of the college’s administration to attend the conference. He said one of his first thoughts as he walked around the massive Georgia World Congress Center was the pursuit of excellence through preparation and mastery.
“Gathered here are some of the best technical students in the nation, each having invested months preparing for a competition that, in many cases, lasts eight to 12 hours,” he said. “They work with remarkable focus and intensity, knowing their skills will be evaluated against demanding standards. There are no shortcuts in this environment.”
Hoekstra was also struck by the faculty advisors, who spent extra time for weeks working with students to perfect their skills for contests focused on carpentry, precision machining or robotics.
“Now, they simply watch,” Hoekstra said. “Their opportunity to influence the outcome has largely passed. What remains is the visible evidence of their investment in another person’s growth and development.”
Hoekstra said in returning back to Texas, he has an even deeper appreciation for the students and faculty members who take part in SkillsUSA along with the opportunities technical education creates.
Gina Cano-Monreal, provost of TSTC’s Harlingen campus, traveled to Atlanta to not only cheer on competing students, but also to learn how SkillsUSA provides credentialing opportunities for students and instructors and connect career and technical education to today’s in-demand fields.
Cano-Monreal said being at the conference, and returning back to Harlingen, gave her a sense of pride and optimism.
“From the excitement of the opening ceremony to the intensity on the competition floors, it was evident that the future of workforce talent is bright, and that includes our TSTC students,” she said. “I could not be prouder of the performance and dedication of our TSTC SkillsUSA students and their advisors.”
Cano-Monreal said she could not wait to talk about, both on campus and throughout the Rio Grande Valley the successes of the students and why more should take part in SkillsUSA on the middle school, secondary and post-secondary levels.
“We have talented students and advisors — it’s up to us to give them the support and opportunities to showcase it,” she said.
Attending the conference were program team leads from the Fort Bend County and Waco campuses.
Jamie Brannen, program team lead for the HVAC and Plumbing and Pipefitting programs at the Waco campus, said he did not know what to expect when the idea first came up for him to travel to Atlanta.
“I was genuinely amazed by the magnitude of the event,” he said. “Every corner of the venue was filled with energy, excitement and opportunities to learn. By the end of each day, my legs were burning and I was completely exhausted from all the walking, but it was absolutely worth it.”
Brannen said his goal for the conference was to observe the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration and Plumbing contests, both of which had TSTC students competing. He said he wanted to better understand how the contests are organized and to gather ideas that could be adapted on the Waco campus.
“Once I arrived, I found myself exploring many more competitions than I originally planned,” Brannen said.
Next year’s SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is set for June 21-25, 2027, in Atlanta.
For more information on SkillsUSA, go to skillsusa.org.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.