PEORIA, ILLINOIS (May 8, 2025) — From solving crimes to flying drones, and from repairing diesel engines to building tiny homes, students from across Illinois have earned the opportunity of a lifetime: championship awards, a shot at national fame, and most importantly, a path toward career success.
At the April 24-26 SkillsUSA Illinois 2025 Championships, nearly 2,000 students from more than eighty schools filled the Peoria Civic Center to showcase their skills in more than 140 career competitions and vie for awards in more than 100 industries. Some will now go on to national competitions, and all set themselves up to be winners in their chosen career field.
The Championships were again sponsored this year by Caterpillar Inc. and the City of Peoria as thousands came for a three-day celebration of students’ and schools’ commitment to career and technical education (CTE). The annual event — held in some form for sixty years now through SkillsUSA — is made possible by hundreds of industry partners, trade associations, and labor organizations who volunteer countless hours to judge the competitions as students race against the clock and each other to prove their expertise in manufacturing, electronics, computer-aided drafting, culinary arts, construction, hospitality, human services, and much more.
Winners of the statewide Championships will now go on to compete in the national SkillsUSA Championships this June in Atlanta, Georgia. A detailed list of the Championships’ participating schools is included below, and a full list of competition winners and top finishers is here. More information is available at: skillsusaillinois.org/the-championships.
For the second year, some of the Championships’ participants were in Springfield in early March for the SkillsUSA Illinois AMPLIFY Lobby Day. They met legislators at the State Capitol and advocated for expanded funding and flexibility for CTE programs — a call welcomed by top policymakers. Recently, Governor JB Pritzker announced the release of nearly $20 million in funding through the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship program, including support for SkillsUSA Illinois chapters.
State Senator Dave Koehler, State Representative Ryan Spain, and a representative from Gov Pritzker’s office all were on hand to watch the competitions and learn more about the SkillsUSA program.
SkillsUSA Illinois’ mission is to help employers statewide address a growing skills gap with its non-profit partnership of students, instructors, and industry to introduce and encourage young people about employment needs and the skilled workforce required to meet them. SkillsUSA leaders say a recent statewide study on work-based learning across Illinois confirmed these programs are lifting up students into better careers, yet more strides are needed.
“These Championships serve as a rewarding celebration: Of the dedication of our students, advisors, volunteers, industry partners, and sponsors to our shared mission of creating the future skilled workforce; and of our continued growth in interest and potential to help young people discover rewarding career paths and chase their dreams,” said SkillsUSA Illinois Executive Director Eric Hill. “We hope to continue this momentum with continued support from our federal and state elected officials and look forward to building on this success in the next school year.”
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Central Illinois
- Bloomington Area Career Center — Bloomington, IL
- Bunker Hill High School — Bunker Hill, IL
- Clinton High School — Clinton, IL
- Clinton Junior High School — Clinton, IL
- East Peoria Community High School — East Peoria, IL
- Illinois Central College — East Peoria, IL
- Eureka High School — Eureka, IL
- Metamora Township High School — Metamora, IL
- Morton High School — Morton, IL
- Heartland Community College — Normal, IL
- Dwight Township High School — Dwight, IL
- Pekin Community High School — Pekin, Il
- Peoria Public Schools — Peoria, IL
- Carver Community Center — Peoria, IL
- Livingston Area Career Center — Pontiac, IL
- Capital Area Career Center — Springfield, IL
- Lincoln Land Community College — Springfield, IL
- Champaign Central High School — Champaign, IL
- Danville High School — Danville, IL
- Mattoon High School — Mattoon, IL
Chicago
- Thomas Kelly College Prep — Chicago, IL
DuPage County (suburban Chicago)
- Addison Trail High School — Addison, IL
- Technology Center of DuPage — Addison, IL
- Downers Grove South High School — Downers Grove, IL
- Elk Grove High School — Elk Grove Village, IL
- York Community High School — Elmhurst, IL
- Naperville Central High School — Naperville, IL
- Neuqua Valley High School — Naperville, IL
- Willowbrook High School — Villa Park, IL
Metro East
- Southwestern Illinois College — Belleville, IL
- The Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence — Belleville, IL
North Suburbs of Chicagoland
- College of Lake County — Grayslake, IL
- Lake County Tech Campus — Grayslake, IL
- Hampshire High School — Hampshire, IL
- Johnsburg High School — Johnsburg, IL
- Marengo Community High School — Marengo, IL
- Waukegan High School — Waukegan, IL
Northern Illinois
- Kishwaukee Education Consortium — Malta, IL
- Kishwaukee College — Malta, IL
- Grundy Area Vocational Center — Morris, IL
- Galesburg Area Vocational Center — Galesburg, IL
- Carl Sandburg College — Galesburg, IL
- Kankakee Area Career Center — Bourbonnais, IL
- United High School — Monmouth, IL
NW Chicago/Cook County suburbs
- Maine West High School — Des Plaines, IL
- Maine East High School — Park Ridge, IL
- Maine South High School — Park Ridge, IL
- Triton College — River Grove, IL
South Suburbs of Chicago
- Bolingbrook High School — Bolingbrook, IL
- Thornton Fractional Center — Calumet City, IL
- Bloom Trail High School — Chicago Heights, IL
- Bloom Township High School — Chicago Heights, IL
- Homewood/Flossmoor High School — Flossmoor, IL
- Lincoln-Way East High School — Frankfort, IL
- Joliet Central High School — Joliet, IL
- Joliet Junior College — Joliet, IL
- Joliet West High School — Joliet, IL
- Lockport Township High School — Lockport, IL
- Lincoln-Way Central High School — New Lenox, IL
- Lincoln-Way West High School — New Lenox, IL
- Carl Sandburg High School — Orland Park, IL
- AA Stagg High School — Palos Hills, IL
- Peotone High School — Peotone, IL
- Peotone Junior High School — Peotone, IL
- Romeoville High School — Romeoville, IL
- Wilco Area Career Center — Romeoville, IL
- Argo Community High School — Summit, IL
- Victor J Andrew High School — Tinley Park, IL
- Rich Township High School — Tinley Park, IL
Southern Illinois
- Carbondale Community High School — Carbondale, IL
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale — Carbondale, IL
- Mount Vernon High School — Mount Vernon, IL
- Wabash Valley College — Mt Carmel, IL
- Career Center of Southern Illinois — Red Bud, IL
- Sparta High School — Sparta, IL
- Vienna High School — Vienna, IL
West Suburbs of Chicago
- Metea Valley High School — Aurora, IL
- Waubonsie Valley High School — Aurora, IL
- West Aurora High School — Aurora, IL
- Central High School — Burlington, IL
- Fox Valley Career Center — Maple Park, IL
- Oswego East High School — Oswego, IL
- Oswego High School — Oswego, IL
- Indian Valley Vocational Center — Sandwich, IL
- Waubonsee Community College — Sugar Grove, IL
- Lemont High School — Lemont, IL
ABOUT SkillsUSA Illinois
SkillsUSA Illinois is a state and national membership association serving high-school, college, and middle-school students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations, including health occupations, and for further education.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel.
Visit SkillsUSA Illinois online: https://www.skillsusaillinois.org/
About SkillsUSA Illinois and its mission: https://www.skillsusaillinois.org/about-us
Calendar of events and programs: https://www.skillsusaillinois.org/events
For interested educators: https://www.skillsusaillinois.org/educators
For interested students: https://www.skillsusaillinois.org/students
Videos of recent SkillsUSA events:
