SkillsUSA heads to Louisville, Ky., June 20-24, 2016, for the 52nd annual National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC), a showcase of career and technical education students. More than 16,000 people — including students, teachers and business partners — are expected to participate in the weeklong event.

Before the conference technically begins, experiences for students and advisors include Activate, Leverage and Engage. Intense and rewarding, these three events cover individual, group and interactive leadership training.

On Tuesday, the Opening Ceremony is the first official conference event.

Delegate sessions for middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students are conducted by the national officers. The sessions provide a platform to conduct the organization’s official business, elect student leaders and recognize state association voting delegates.

SkillsUSA University  is a program of educational seminars available to all participants Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. SkillsUSA TECHSPO returns to the conference as a whole new experience and is now located on the competition floor. Look for products available to purchase from SkillsUSA’s sponsors and vendors in both indoor and outdoor exhibits.

The SkillsUSA Championships will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. More than 6,000 outstanding career and technical education students –– all state contest winners –– will compete hands-on in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields. Students work against the clock and each other, proving their expertise in occupations such as electronics, computer-aided drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts. Contests are run with the help of industry, trade associations and labor organizations, and test competencies are set by industry. Leadership contestants will demonstrate skills including extemporaneous speaking and conducting meetings by parliamentary procedure. The competitions will be open to the public and free of charge.