Aspiring Home Building Professionals Compete in SkillsUSA Competition
The talents of a diverse group of aspiring home building professionals were on display last month as thousands of students from Washington state put their skills to the test in the statewide SkillsUSA competition.
The event, which boasted more than 90 different competitions ranging from industrial motor control to plumbing, showcased the students’ real-world skills in front of industry professional judges.
“It was a very successful event,” said Al Audette, education and workforce development director for the Building Industry Association of Washington. “Our members had a great time seeing what students are doing in shop classes around the state.”
NAHB’s strong partnership with SkillsUSA, the national education nonprofit, continues to drive a targeted effort on enhancing workforce development and addressing the nation’s skilled labor shortage.
“The students not only had exposure to what other schools around the state are doing,” said Audette, “they were also able to learn from our members who served as mentors.”
SkillsUSA will host 53 key state-level competitions — including events in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands — throughout the spring.
Winners from around the nation will ultimately compete during the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta June 24-28.
NAHB encourages its members to get involved and help attract budding talent in residential construction to take part in SkillsUSA activities. Learn more about NAHB’s partnership with SkillsUSA at nahb.org.
Latest from NAHBNow
Sep 17, 2025
Housing Starts Remain Soft Ahead of Fed MeetingOverall housing starts decreased 8.5% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.31 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Sep 16, 2025
Tradeswomen Paving Their Own WayNAHB spoke with Professional Women in Building (PWB) members Elyse Adams and Brittney Quinn about their career paths in the trades and how PWB has positively influenced their journeys.
Latest Economic News
Sep 17, 2025
The Fed Cuts and Projects More Easing to ComeAfter a monetary policy pause that began at the start of 2025, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee (FOMC) voted to reduce the short-term federal funds rate by 25 basis points at the conclusion of its September meeting. This move decreased the target federal funds rate to an upper rate of 4.25%.
Sep 17, 2025
Housing Starts Remain Soft Ahead of Fed MeetingChallenging affordability conditions continue to act as headwinds for the housing industry, but the sector could see lower interest rates in the near future with the Federal Reserve expected to cut short-term interest rates this afternoon.
Sep 16, 2025
Builder Confidence Steady but Future Sales Expectations Hit Six-Month HighBuilder sentiment levels remained unchanged in September but lower mortgage rates and expectations that the Federal Reserve will soon cut the federal funds rate led to higher future sale expectations in the coming months.