CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Thousands of students from across Texas are competing this week in Corpus Christi, showcasing skills in everything from welding and plumbing to construction and healthcare.
With Texas facing a skilled labor shortage, the opportunity goes far beyond the competition floor.
"Texas, they say, is facing a huge labor shortage, and with the influx of people that are coming into our state, it's incredibly important that we have a number of qualified plumbers, electricians, right? These are the people who run our state," SkillsUSA Texas State Vice President Shiv Patel said.
"You have people building entire homes in just two days with the supplies that they have. You have students who are demonstrating CPR, first aid, EMT, right? All these different skills across a broad range of careers," Patel said.
Carroll High School construction teacher Ernest Holland, whose team has won back-to-back state titles, said the real win is what students walk away with.
"The ones that have the certifications, which are most of our kids, they can go right into the refineries, they can go right into the ports, et cetera, with their certifications,"Holland said.
Back in the exhibit hall, those connections are already being made.
"We have so many different industry partners here, and anyone in any trade area or any pathway can connect with anyone, and it allows them to build their network up and explore what they want to do in the future," State Secretary of Skills USA Texas Robert Emrich, said.
SkillsUSA alumna Sarah Cardenas competed as a student from 2015 to 2018 and has returned every year since. She said the program opens doors for students from all walks of life.
"So these students really benefit from this competition structure because they get to apply what they've learned in the classroom in a real world environment and be judged and given feedback on how they can improve, what exactly the industry maybe looking for, and really get to showcase and get real world experience on if this is something they want to continue to pursue," Cardenas said.
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