About

WorldSkills International

WorldSkills International is a global, member-driven organization that works through collaborative efforts to raise the awareness of skilled professions. Currently, there are 89 member countries and regions. WorldSkills was founded in 1950.

In 1973, President Richard M. Nixon recognized SkillsUSA (then known as VICA) as the official U.S. representative. The United States first entered the WorldSkills Competition in 1975, represented by the SkillsUSA organization. The next WorldSkills Competition will be held in Shanghai in 2026.

About SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is the #1 workforce development organization for students. We empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. Representing more than 442,000 career and technical education students and teachers, SkillsUSA chapters thrive in middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide. Our mission is accomplished through the SkillsUSA Framework of Personal Skills, Workplace Skills and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics, which is integrated into classroom curriculum.

Through the Framework, SkillsUSA students hone their hands-on skills against current industry standards in more than 130 occupational areas, from 3D Animation to Welding and nearly everything in between. At the same time, they develop the transformative career-readiness skills — teamwork, communication, professionalism, leadership and more — that fuel career and life success.