SkillsUSA Illinois, Inc.

What SkillsUSA Illinois, Inc. does

SkillsUSA Illinois, Inc. is a nonprofit state-level membership association, headquartered in Pekin, Illinois, founded in 1964 and recognized by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. It operates as the Illinois affiliate of the national SkillsUSA organization and serves high school, college, and middle school students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. The organization reports 10,000+ members, 140+ occupational programs, and 600+ business and industry partners engaged in setting education and employability standards.

The organization's core product is the State Leadership & Skills Conference (SLSC), an annual championships-style event featuring 100+ hands-on career competitions organized into clusters such as Architecture and Construction, Health Sciences, Manufacturing/STEM, and Hospitality and Tourism. Around the SLSC, the organization has built a layered program stack including the State Officer Development Program, Advisor Development Conference, LEAD, AMPLIFY, Chapter Excellence Program, Career Essentials curriculum, and the Red Jacket To Your Dreams Scholarship program ($120 awards to 80+ participants). Career Essentials functions as the framework-based curriculum layer, while partnerships with 600+ industry organizations provide both standards-setting input and a talent-pipeline channel for employers.

Commercially, SkillsUSA Illinois is funded through a mix of membership fees (managed through national SkillsUSA infrastructure), industry partner sponsorships, championship exhibitor fees ($500 for non-profits/schools/universities; $700 for industry partners), and program-specific scholarship funding. The go-to-market model is school-based: students access programs through local SkillsUSA chapter advisors at their schools, and the organization reaches educators and administrators through professional development conferences and chapter-building programs. The current executive leadership is in interim status (Interim Executive Director Julie Simms and Interim State Director Katie Friedl), and partnerships are managed by a Senior Coordinator for Partnerships (Marla Swanson). No AI/ML capabilities, technology products, or external funding rounds are disclosed.

Name

SkillsUSA Illinois, Inc.

Legal name

SkillsUSA Illinois, Inc.

Website

https://skillsusaillinois.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SkillsUSA Illinois, Inc. is a 501(c)-style nonprofit membership association founded in 1964 that delivers career and technical education programs, hands-on competitions, and industry partnerships to over 10,000 high school, college, and middle school students across Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Career and Technical Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Career technical education
• Workforce development programs
• Student leadership programs
• Skills competitions
• Industry education partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Pekin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SkillsUSA Illinois is a nonprofit membership association that delivers career and technical education (CTE) programs to middle school, high school, and college students across Illinois. Its core offerings include the annual State Leadership & Skills Conference (SLSC), where students compete in 100+ hands-on career competitions across clusters like Architecture & Construction, Health Sciences, Manufacturing/STEM, and IT/Business Management, along with leadership development programs, professional development for advisors, and industry-aligned curriculum frameworks.

Product overview

SkillsUSA Illinois is a membership association serving high school, college, and middle school students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. The organization operates as a coordinated set of programs centered around its flagship State Leadership & Skills Conference (SLSC), where students compete in over 100 career competitions across diverse occupational clusters. Key offerings include the State Officer Development Program, LEAD, AMPLIFY, Advisor Development Conference, Chapter Excellence Program, and Career Essentials curriculum. The organization also offers the Red Jacket To Your Dreams Scholarship. With over 10,000 members, 140+ occupational programs, and 600+ business/industry partners, the programs work together to develop career-ready students through technical skill competitions, leadership development, and industry partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State Leadership & Skills Conference (SLSC) The pinnacle annual event where career and technical education students compete in hands-on career competitions across 100+ trade, technical and leadership fields. Students work against the clock proving expertise in occupations such as electronics, computer-aided drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts.
• State Officer Development Program Annual leadership program where high school and college/postsecondary officers are elected and trained to represent their peers, lead events, and advocate for SkillsUSA with government officials.
• Advisor Development Conference Professional development conference for SkillsUSA advisors and educators.
• LEAD Program Leadership development program for SkillsUSA members.
• AMPLIFY SkillsUSA Illinois program for student engagement and amplification of career and technical education.
• Red Jacket To Your Dreams Scholarship Scholarship program offering $120 scholarships to over 80 SLSC participants, funded by business and industry partners.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• SkillsUSA California: Sibling state chapter of SkillsUSA operating in California under the same national framework. Comparable in operating model and program mix but serves a different geography and does not directly compete for Illinois members.

Direct peers

• HOSA-Future Health Professionals: National CTSO serving students pursuing health occupations, overlapping directly with SkillsUSA Illinois's Health Sciences competition cluster. Comparable chapter-based membership model and industry partnership structure.
• Business Professionals of America (BPA): National CTSO preparing students for careers in business, finance, IT, and management. Directly comparable in structure, member demographic, and competition format within Illinois secondary schools.
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA): National CTSO focused on business and leadership career pathways. Directly comparable membership-association model serving Illinois high school and college students with competitions, leadership programs, and industry partnerships.
• Technology Student Association (TSA): National CTSO for students interested in STEM and technology careers. Operates the same chapter-and-competition model and directly overlaps with SkillsUSA Illinois's IT/Manufacturing/STEM competition clusters.
• National FFA Organization: National student organization serving agricultural education, with the same CTSO model (chapter-based, competition-driven, industry partner-funded) operating across Illinois high schools and competing for similar CTE mindshare.
• DECA Inc. National CTE student organization focused on marketing, finance, hospitality, and management careers. Competes with SkillsUSA Illinois for the same high school chapter slots, advisor time, and industry sponsorship dollars in Illinois schools.
• SkillsUSA (National Organization): The national parent organization of SkillsUSA Illinois, running the same CTE competition and leadership model across all 50 states. Directly comparable in mission, program structure (Career Essentials, SLSC/NLSC, Chapter Excellence Program), and stakeholder set.

Others

• Advance CTE: National nonprofit representing state CTE directors and shaping CTE policy and curriculum standards. Adjacent ecosystem participant that influences the regulatory and funding environment in which SkillsUSA Illinois operates.

Emerging players

• National Technical Honor Society (NTHS): Honor society recognizing outstanding CTE students, with overlapping student demographic and chapter-based school distribution. Partial overlap as a recognition/credentialing layer rather than a competition platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwktA04LUD1LqgjlRBZTRYw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SkillsUSAIL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skillsusa-illinois-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/skillsusail

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SkillsUSA Illinois, Inc.