The future of the trades starts with showing up

By Lauren White.

Students, educators and industry partners connected at Oregon’s Academy for Chapter Excellence to explore career pathways and help shape the future workforce.

Building the future workforce starts long before someone applies for their first job. That message stayed with me after attending the Oregon CTSO Academy for Chapter Excellence in Ashland, Oregon, October 8-10, 2026.

Over three days, 42 students representing eight career and technical student organizations (CTSOs), including Oregon SkillsUSA, gathered with chapter advisors to strengthen their leadership skills and connect classroom learning with career opportunities.

Students and advisors attended separate breakout sessions, with advisors exploring chapter improvement, fundraising and other ways to support their organizations. Shared sessions brought everyone together, creating space for conversations between students, educators and industry partners.

Friday’s chapter leaders' session offered a particularly valuable opportunity to listen. Moderated by Jeff Rhoades from the Oregon Department of Education, the discussion invited students to explain what they experience in school and what they want education leaders to understand. They called for more project-based learning, clearer connections between core academics and career and technical education and greater access to career exploration.

Jeff emphasized starting conversations about the trades earlier, including in middle school. He shared, “By third grade, students know what they’re good at and what they enjoy in school. Getting into middle schools and starting the conversation earlier about the trades is vital.” For trades professionals, that is an important invitation; we cannot assume students understand our industries or the opportunities available within them. A classroom visit, hands-on demonstration or job-shadowing experience can make those possibilities tangible.

Access, however, requires more than interest. Students identified conference fees, transportation and lodging as barriers to participation in CTSOs. Some schools lack chapters or teachers able to take on the volunteer advisor role. Students also asked how to advocate for their organizations and whom to approach. These conversations underscored why employer involvement matters: financial support, materials and connections can help turn enthusiasm into opportunity.

Friday’s etiquette dinner reinforced another benefit of these programs. Beyond learning dining etiquette, students and advisors connected with professionals and industry partners outside their own organizations, practicing the conversations that help build professional relationships.

Saturday’s industry trends panel, moderated by Oregon SkillsUSA Director Chuck Young, brought the workforce connection into focus. Saai Grandhi, Oregon SkillsUSA treasurer; Mari Yonan, DECA vice president of leadership; state representative Emily McIntire; Noble Coffee owner Jared Rennie; and Valley Immediate Care CEO Brent Kell explored ways to help students move from the classroom into the workforce. The discussion emphasized internships, industry visits and hands-on projects alongside communication, time management, perseverance and continued learning. Stronger school-employer partnerships can help students explore pathways beyond a traditional four-year degree while connecting curriculum with workplace needs.

I left Ashland hopeful about the next generation, inspired by students’ thirst for knowledge, eagerness to learn and willingness to try new things — and reminded that even small efforts from industry professionals can help turn that curiosity into career opportunities. Visit a classroom. Connect with an advisor. Sponsor a student’s conference attendance. The future of the trades depends on those connections, and every business has an opportunity to help build them.

A great place to start would be attending the Oregon state SkillsUSA competition March 12-13 at Rogue Community College – see for yourself what these students are capable of!

Hear from conference attendees about their experiences, their hopes for the future and the value of CTSOs.