LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. — To raise awareness of skilled trade careers and to help close the U.S. skills gap, SkillsUSA and Klein Tools hosted the inaugural SkillsUSA National Signing Day. The event celebrated nearly 3,000 high school seniors dedicated to pursuing a career in residential wiring, building trades and renovations, HVAC or plumbing, at hundreds of schools across the nation.
Local communities, school administrators, teachers, elected officials, SkillsUSA advisors, family and celebrated the students for making the decision to pursue a career or continuing education in the skilled trades. Similar to “National Signing Day” events for high school student athletes, seniors announced their career plans and signed “letters of intent” for a job offer, apprenticeship or advanced technical training.