Chattanooga State Community College stood at the forefront of this year’s SkillsUSA Tennessee State Leadership and Skills Conference, earning 42 medals, multiple statewide honors, and top recognition for excellence in career and technical education as thousands of students gathered in Chattanooga to compete and prepare for the workforce.
Chattanooga State Community College also received the SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Award, one of the organization’s highest institutional honors, while instructor April Kidd was named Tennessee’s New Advisor of the Year.
The recognitions further highlighted the college’s growing influence in preparing students for high-demand careers through hands-on training and leadership development.
The statewide conference, hosted last month at the Chattanooga Convention Center and additional venues across the city, brought together more than 2,000 high school students and 1,000 postsecondary participants along with their advisors from across Tennessee.
The event combined technical competitions with leadership training designed to strengthen communication, teamwork, and workplace readiness.
Across the college and postsecondary division, students competed in 110 skills contests spanning healthcare, industrial trades, information technology, and service industries. A total of 335 medals were awarded statewide, including 151 gold, 100 silver, and 84 bronze, reflecting a highly competitive field and the depth of talent across Tennessee’s career and technical education programs.
Students who earned gold medals achieved the highest distinction at the state level and will now advance to represent Tennessee at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta this June, where they will compete against peers from across the country.
“This conference represents the future of Tennessee’s workforce,” said Daphne Brown, who serves as director of CTE (Career and Technical Education) Student Engagement and SkillsUSA Tennessee Postsecondary State Director at TBR–The College System of Tennessee. “Our students are not only mastering technical skills, but they are also developing the leadership, work ethic, and adaptability that employers value most.”
Often described as the “Olympics of the trades,” SkillsUSA emphasizes both technical mastery and professional growth.
In addition to competition, students participated in workshops and leadership sessions aimed at preparing them for careers in skilled professions and helping them transition directly into the workforce or further education.
More than 500 industry professionals, technical chairs, judges, and volunteers supported the conference, ensuring that each competition reflected real-world standards and expectations from employers across Tennessee and beyond.
While hundreds of students from institutions statewide earned recognition, Chattanooga State’s performance and institutional honors placed it among the most prominent contributors to this year’s event, further cementing its role as a leader in workforce development and student success.