Every June, the best and brightest trades students from around the country converge on Atlanta. The focal point of the week is the SkillsUSA Championships, where this year more than 7,000 students competed in 115-plus competitions that ranged from culinary arts to screen printing to automotive service to marine service technology.

It’s a busy week, filled with way more than competition. Equally meaningful is the combination of future skilled workers and current industries that support them.

The SkillsUSA Championships take place at the Georgia World Congress Center. Contestants compete at state competitions to qualify for these national championships. Some competitions have only a handful of participants, while others have upward of 100. Everything from the competition design to the equipment, tests and judges is all-volunteer. This year’s Marine Service Technology competition supporters included the American Boat & Yacht Council, the National Marine Electronics Association, the Coast Guard, Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki and Honda.

After two days of competition, six winners (three from the high-school division and three from the post-secondary division) took the gold, silver and bronze and walked away with some great prizes from Snap-on, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Mercury.

And there’s networking. The competition space is commingled with vendors and industry partners throughout almost the entire 4 million square feet of the convention center. The four days on the floor allows industry representatives to meet hundreds of students who will be graduating soon. Many companies are able to recruit new technicians right off of the competition floor. There is no comparable environment out there in the workforce development space. 

As Mark Reedenauer, the NMEA’s president and executive director, put it: “The industry collaboration by competing
marine engine manufacturers that participated in SkillsUSA is incredible. Seeing the looks on these competitors’ faces, some of them still kids, makes it all worth the marine industry’s effort to participate. ABYC should be commended for leading this charge and bringing other manufacturers to this great event.” 

Participating industry partners have a competitive advantage by showing up. They can get their product in the future generation’s hands at the beginning of their career. 

SkillsUSA is one of the best ways for industry leaders to engage with the future of our industry. And any organization that wants to get involved can do plenty at both the state and national levels.

There are ways to connect with local schools. SkillsUSA has almost 500,000 active members around the country. Most schools have a SkillsUSA program and are looking for industry support. Visit your local schools, serve on their advisory boards, and help them with resources.

State and regional SkillsUSA competitions always need support. This is a big one. Your organization may be the only one helping, or there may be a lot of support (like in Florida). Either way, more support is needed, and it is not a huge commitment.

Then there’s the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference. Whether you are supporting the Marine Service Technology competition or get a booth as a vendor, this event is beneficial to the students and industry. The next competition is scheduled for June 21-25, 2027, in Atlanta, and planning will be getting underway in the coming months.

The marine industry is not unique in its workforce challenges. Just as in most skilled-trade industries, finding the next generation can be hard. Supporting SkillsUSA is a win-win for any organization. If you would like to learn more, reach out to me.

David Broadbent is director of business development at the American Boat & Yacht Council.

This story originally appeared in the August 2026 issue of Soundings Trade Only.