(APPLETON) Students from several area high schools will put their technical and leadership skills to the test later this month as they compete in the first Wisconsin SkillsUSA regional competition of 2026.
The event is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23, at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton and will bring together students from schools across the state for hands-on competitions tied to real-world careers.
Beaver Dam High School will send five students to the regional competition, while Hartford Union High School will be represented by seven students. Markesan High School will have one student competing, and Watertown High School will bring one of the larger local contingents with 18 students taking part.
Students will compete in a wide range of career-focused events, including automotive service technology, welding, precision machining, robotics, medical math, technical drafting, job interview skills, and prepared speech. The competitions are designed to reflect the skills students would use on the job, with an emphasis on problem-solving, professionalism, and technical accuracy.
Opening ceremonies begin at 8:15 a.m., with competitions running from 9 a.m. to noon. Judging will take place over the lunch hour, followed by an awards ceremony at 1 p.m.
Alongside the student competitions, the regional event will also host a Future-Ready Workforce Summit late in the morning. Business leaders, human resource professionals, and recruiters from across Wisconsin will meet with SkillsUSA representatives to discuss workforce needs and ways schools and employers can work together to build a pipeline of skilled workers.
Top finishers at the regional level will advance to the Wisconsin SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference, scheduled for April 7 and 8 in Madison. That event is the state’s largest hands-on workforce development showcase and can lead to qualification for the national SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta this summer.
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit organization focused on preparing students for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service fields. In Wisconsin alone, more than 1,700 students are expected to participate in SkillsUSA competitions this year, supported by hundreds of volunteers and industry partners statewide.
