Build Tennessee's Future Workforce
Partner With SkillsUSA Tennessee College/Postsecondary
SkillsUSA Tennessee College/Postsecondary connects education and industry to develop skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and Tennessee’s future workforce.
Building Tennessee’s Workforce Together
Partner with SkillsUSA Tennessee College/Postsecondary to connect with emerging talent, strengthen career and technical education, and help develop the skilled workforce Tennessee employers need.
Where Education Meets Workforce
SkillsUSA Tennessee College/Postsecondary prepares students with the technical skills, workplace skills, and leadership abilities employers expect. Students apply what they learn through competitions, leadership experiences, industry engagement, service, teamwork, and real-world problem solving.
Our partnerships extend beyond financial sponsorships. Employers become active collaborators in workforce development by mentoring students, judging competitions, advising technical programs, hosting tours, supporting conferences, donating equipment, and recruiting future employees.
Whether your organization wants to build a talent pipeline, increase statewide visibility, support student success, or strengthen Career and Technical Education, SkillsUSA offers meaningful ways to engage.
A Partnership, Not Just a Sponsorship
The strongest partnerships create value for both students and employers. SkillsUSA works with organizations to develop opportunities that align with workforce priorities while giving students access to industry knowledge, career pathways, mentors, and employment connections.
Financial support is one way to engage, but it is not the only way. Your organization may contribute technical expertise, equipment, volunteers, internships, scholarships, facilities, or direct employment opportunities.
SkillsUSA Tennessee by the Numbers
Why Employers Partner With SkillsUSA
Build Your Workforce
Connect with students preparing for careers in high-demand technical and professional fields.
Recruit Career-Ready Talent
Meet students before graduation and introduce them to your organization, career pathways, and employment opportunities.
Influence Workforce Training
Share current industry standards, workforce needs, emerging technologies, and technical practices with students and educators.
Increase Visibility
Demonstrate your commitment to student success, workforce development, and Tennessee communities.
Develop Your Employees
Give employees meaningful opportunities to serve as judges, mentors, speakers, technical chairs, and industry representatives.
Strengthen Tennessee
Invest in the skilled workforce, technical education, and economic future of communities across the state.
Ways to Partner
Partnerships can be customized around your organization’s workforce priorities, available resources, and desired level of engagement.
Workforce Development
- Recruit students and graduates
- Offer internships and apprenticeships
- Host hiring events
- Provide job-shadowing opportunities
- Participate in career fairs
- Build college-to-career pipelines
Student Development
- Serve as a competition judge
- Become a technical chair
- Mentor students
- Lead workshops or demonstrations
- Participate in industry panels
- Support mock interviews and résumé reviews
Conference and Program Support
- Sponsor leadership conferences
- Support technical competitions
- Fund scholarships or awards
- Sponsor student travel
- Support career-readiness programming
- Provide prizes and recognition
Industry and In-Kind Support
- Donate tools, equipment, or materials
- Provide software or technology
- Host facility tours
- Offer meeting or training space
- Provide technical expertise
- Support transportation, meals, or services
What Does a Partnership Look Like?
| If Your Organization Wants To... | SkillsUSA Can Help By... |
|---|---|
| Recruit future employees | Connecting you with students through TECHSPO, conferences, competitions, and career events |
| Build a long-term talent pipeline | Creating pathways for internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, and employment |
| Influence technical education | Engaging your experts as technical chairs, judges, advisors, and program partners |
| Increase brand visibility | Building approved recognition opportunities through conferences, programs, and student experiences |
| Support student success | Developing scholarships, awards, leadership experiences, travel support, and competition opportunities |
| Develop employee leadership | Providing service opportunities as mentors, presenters, judges, volunteers, and technical leaders |
Featured Partnership Opportunities
State Leadership and Skills Conference
Support one of Tennessee’s largest showcases of career and technical education, student leadership, and workforce excellence.
TECHSPO
Connect directly with students, educators, colleges, employers, and workforce partners through an interactive exhibit experience.
Technical Competitions
Support competitive events that allow students to demonstrate technical knowledge, workplace readiness, and professional excellence.
Student Scholarships
Invest directly in students pursuing technical education, leadership development, and career advancement.
Leadership Development
Help students strengthen communication, teamwork, professionalism, advocacy, and leadership skills.
In-Kind Workforce Support
Provide tools, equipment, materials, technology, facilities, services, or technical expertise.
Our Industry & Workforce Partners
SkillsUSA Tennessee College/Postsecondary is strengthened by organizations that invest financial support, volunteers, equipment, technical expertise, facilities, student opportunities, and workforce connections.
How the Partnership Process Works
Start a Conversation
Tell us about your organization, workforce goals, and interests.
Build the Partnership
We identify opportunities that align with your priorities and available resources.
Confirm the Details
Deliverables, recognition, timelines, responsibilities, and approvals are clearly documented.
Engage With Students
Your organization participates through the selected program, conference, or workforce activity.
Measure the Impact
We document fulfillment, recognize contributions, and identify opportunities to continue growing the partnership.
Let’s Build Tennessee’s Workforce Together
Whether your organization is interested in recruiting, sponsoring, volunteering, mentoring, scholarships, equipment donations, technical expertise, or conference engagement, we will work with you to build a partnership that aligns with your workforce goals.
Cris Perkins Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Advancement Tennessee Board of Regents cris.perkins@tbr.edu 615-365-1510
A Shared Workforce Mission
Advisors, Students, and Industry Partners
Strong workforce development happens when educators, students, and employers work together. Each group brings a distinct contribution to career preparation, leadership development, and Tennessee's future workforce.
