National Leadership & Skills Conference
Professional Learning for SkillsUSA Advisors
NLSC offers advisors opportunities to strengthen technical knowledge, expand classroom practice, earn industry credentials, and connect with national business and education partners.
This page explains the types of professional learning advisors may find at NLSC. Always use the official NLSC credentialing page for current offerings, eligibility, costs, schedules, registration links, and participation requirements.
Learn While Your Students Compete
Make NLSC a Professional Learning Experience
NLSC is not only a student competition event. It is also an opportunity for advisors, instructors, work-based learning coordinators, and CTE leaders to develop new skills and bring current industry knowledge back to their campuses.
Advisor opportunities may include industry certifications, technical training, safety education, software credentials, instructional resources, and leadership-focused credentials for current and aspiring CTE professionals.
Learning Never Stops
Professional Development Throughout the Year
SkillsUSA provides professional development for joined professional members throughout the school year, not only during NLSC. These opportunities help advisors meet licensing and certification needs, strengthen chapter leadership, access classroom-ready tools, and apply proven strategies for career and leadership development.
Virtual Professional Development
Build Skills Without Leaving Campus
SkillsUSA offers virtual professional development designed to help advisors implement national programs and strengthen local chapters. Sessions are led by experienced facilitators who understand SkillsUSA programming at the local level.
SkillsUSA Framework
Learn how to intentionally teach and reinforce the personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics that students need for career success.
Program of Work
Strengthen chapter planning by connecting student-led activities to the six categories of the SkillsUSA Program of Work.
Chapter Excellence Program
Learn how to plan, document, evaluate, and communicate chapter achievement through the Chapter Excellence Program.
Advisor Development
Build practical skills for chapter management, student leadership, membership growth, career readiness, and advisor effectiveness.
Pathful Training
Learn how to use SkillsUSA Pathful for career exploration, work-based learning, virtual industry engagement, and member resources.
Work-Based Learning
Explore tools and strategies that connect students with employers, authentic projects, career speakers, workplace tours, and career-connected learning.
How Professional Members Access Training
Most virtual training is available through SkillsUSA Pathful. After logging in, open the Work-Based Learning area, select an upcoming session, and use the SkillsUSA Advisor Professional Development series filter. SkillsUSA Pathful training is offered separately through scheduled monthly sessions.
Technical Thursdays
Industry-Led Skills You Can Bring Into the Classroom
Technical Thursdays are virtual skill-building workshops led by experts from a range of technical and career fields. Sessions are designed to provide practical takeaways advisors can use directly with students.
Participants may receive a professional development certificate for completed sessions. Topics and schedules change, so advisors should use the national professional development page for current offerings.
Professional Growth
Return With Skills You Can Use
The strongest professional learning does more than add a certificate to a file. It improves classroom instruction, strengthens student preparation, supports safer labs, and expands an advisor's ability to connect technical education with workforce expectations.
Advisor Training Areas
Professional Learning Across Technical and Leadership Fields
Exact offerings vary, but NLSC advisor training and credentialing has included opportunities in the following areas.
Robotics Educator Safety
Learn foundational robotics safety concepts, hazard identification, risk awareness, industry standards, and safer practices for classroom and laboratory environments.
Especially relevant for robotics, automation, mechatronics, mobile robotics, and urban search and rescue advisors.Autodesk Certification
Validate entry-level proficiency in industry software used for drafting, design, product development, architecture, construction, and 3D modeling.
Offerings have included AutoCAD, Fusion, Inventor, Revit, and Tinkercad.FANUC Robotics Credentials
Develop or validate knowledge of robot operations, simulation, programming, handling tools, and technician-level robotics concepts.
Offerings have included applied robot operator, certified robot operator, and basic robot operations credentials.Worker Health and Safety
Strengthen understanding of common workplace hazards, personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, hearing protection, and head, eye, and face safety.
Offerings have included 3M and NC3 worker health and safety training.Precision Measurement
Improve knowledge of calipers, micrometers, precision instruments, measurement fundamentals, best practices, and accurate readings.
Offerings have included Mitutoyo and Starrett certifications.Electrical and Hand Tools
Build practical knowledge in hand tool identification, safe tool use, multimeter operation, electrical measurement, and trade-specific applications.
Offerings have included Snap-on, IEC, and NC3-supported credentials.Data Analytics
Learn how to recognize, analyze, visualize, and communicate data using accessible tools and real-world examples.
Training may include charts, graphs, data-driven stories, and industry applications.Emerging Technology and Bionics
Explore new technologies, interdisciplinary technical systems, Industry 4.0 applications, robotics, and instructional approaches for emerging fields.
Offerings have included Festo robotics and bionics education programs.Professional Communication
Validate communication, critical thinking, teamwork, customer service, and interpersonal skills that support success in every workplace.
Offerings have included industry-backed professional communication certification.CTE Administration
Current and aspiring CTE leaders may earn credentials that validate knowledge of high-quality program leadership, administration, and student career preparation.
Offerings have included NOCTI Principles of CTE Administration credentials.Work-Based Learning Leadership
Strengthen the knowledge needed to build employer relationships, coordinate student experiences, manage quality programs, and support successful transitions into the workforce.
Offerings have included NOCTI Work-Based Learning Coordinator credentials.CTE Certification Labs
Broad certification labs may give advisors access to assessments aligned with multiple technical programs, career pathways, and industry standards.
Offerings have included access to extensive YouScience certification catalogs.Credential Value
Strengthen Your Professional Portfolio
Advisor credentials can document technical knowledge, support professional advancement, and demonstrate current engagement with industry standards. They can also help instructors better understand the certifications their students may pursue.
Classroom and Program Impact
Turn Conference Learning Into Campus Improvement
Advisor training is most valuable when it is used after the conference. Build a plan for how you will apply the training, share it with colleagues, and connect it to student learning.
After NLSC
Put the Learning to Work
Update Instruction
Add current tools, terminology, standards, safety practices, or industry examples to course content and lab activities.
Prepare Students
Use your experience to help students understand certification expectations, testing environments, and professional standards.
Share With Colleagues
Present key takeaways to faculty, administrators, SkillsUSA advisors, and workforce or student-success teams.
Engage Employers
Use new industry knowledge to strengthen advisory committees, partnerships, work-based learning, and employer conversations.
Improve Lab Safety
Apply updated safety knowledge to procedures, student orientation, equipment use, and classroom risk awareness.
Document Professional Growth
Save credentials, certificates, digital badges, course materials, and implementation evidence for professional records.
Plan Before You Travel
Build Professional Learning Into Your NLSC Schedule
Training sessions may fill early, require advance registration, involve fees, or overlap with competition responsibilities. Review all requirements before committing.
Review Current Opportunities
Study the official advisor credentialing list when it is released and check back for additions.
Identify Your Goal
Select training that supports your program, students, technical field, leadership role, or professional development plan.
Check Your Responsibilities
Compare training times with competition orientation, contestant support, ceremonies, delegation meetings, and other required duties.
Confirm Cost and Approval
Determine whether the opportunity is free or fee-based and secure any required institutional approval before registering.
Register and Prepare
Complete registration, review prerequisites, create required accounts, and bring identification or equipment listed by the provider.
Create an Implementation Plan
Decide how you will use and share the learning when you return to your campus.
Before Registering
Read the Details Carefully
Eligibility
Some opportunities are open to all advisors, while others are designed for specific technical fields or professional roles.
Time Commitment
Training may range from a short assessment to a half-day, full-day, or multi-session program.
Attendance Requirements
Multi-part programs may require attendance at every session to earn the credential or certificate.
Fees
Some programs may be free, while others may include registration, testing, materials, or credentialing costs.
Capacity
Space may be limited, and registration may close before NLSC begins.
Competition Duties
Advisors must ensure student supervision and required delegation responsibilities are covered before attending training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Advisors Need to Know
Are advisor trainings included with NLSC registration?
Not always. Some opportunities may be free, while others may require a separate registration or fee. Review the provider information for each offering.
Can advisors earn the same credentials as students?
Some student credentials are also open to advisors, but eligibility is determined by each provider. Use the official listing to confirm.
Can I attend training while my student competes?
Possibly, but you must first ensure that student supervision, competition support, transportation, and Tennessee delegation responsibilities are fully covered.
Will the same advisor training be offered every year?
No. Providers, training topics, credentials, schedules, fees, and registration processes may change each year.
Can professional development hours be awarded?
Documentation varies by provider and institution. Save all certificates, agendas, confirmations, and completion records, then follow your institution's professional development approval process.
Who should I contact before registering?
Discuss your plans with your college administration and the Tennessee SkillsUSA College/Postsecondary state office when schedule coordination or delegation responsibilities may be affected.
Current Opportunities
Use the Official NLSC Credentialing Page
The national page is the source for current advisor training and credentialing opportunities, provider descriptions, promotional flyers, eligibility, registration links, testing times, costs, and updates.