Carbon Career and Technical Institute students won some of the nation’s highest awards at the 2025 SkillsUSA Championships, held in Atlanta on June 25 and 26.

More than 6,500 students competed at the national showcase of career and technical education.

The SkillsUSA Championships is the largest skill competition in the world and covers 1.79 million square feet, equivalent to 31 football fields or 41 acres.

First place state winners were invited to the event to demonstrate their technical skills, workplace skills and personal skills in 114 hands-on competitions including robotics, automotive technology, drafting, criminal justice, aviation maintenance and public speaking. Industry leaders from 850 businesses, corporations, trade associations and unions planned and evaluated the contestants against their standards for entry-level workers.

More than 1,200 industry judges and technical committee members participated this year.

A total of 1,250 gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to students on June 27 at the SkillsUSA Awards Session. Many winners also received industry prizes, tools of their trade or scholarships. The medalists also received a Skill Point Certificate representing workplace readiness in the student’s occupational specialty. Students can add the certificate to an employment portfolio.

As an indicator of proficiency, Skill Point Certificates were awarded to national contestants who medaled or who met a threshold contest score for their event.

The following CCTI students received a SkillsUSA Championships medal and Skill Point Certificate:

• Jalin Burns, from Palmerton, was awarded the high school bronze medal in Customer Service;

• Kyle Kuznicki, from Lehighton, was awarded the high school bronze medal in CNC 2-Axis Turning Programmer;

• Team E (consisting of Kadence Tully, Ashton Yost and Savanna Marsteller), was awarded the High School Bronze medal in Occupational Health and Safety-Multiple, and;

• Jalin Burns, from Palmerton, was awarded the high school bronze medal in Customer Service.

“More than 6,500 students from every state in the nation participated in the 2025 SkillsUSA Championships,” said SkillsUSA executive director Chelle Travis. “This showcase of career and technical education demonstrates SkillsUSA at its finest. Our students, instructors and industry partners work together to ensure that every student excels. This program expands learning and career opportunities for our members.”

The SkillsUSA Championships event is held annually for students in middle school, high school or college/postsecondary programs as part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. The national, nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry is a verified talent pipeline for America’s skilled workforce that is working to help solve the skills gap.