ESCANABA — Bay College is the host site of the 2025 SkillsUSA Regional Competition today. The best career and technical students from across the Upper Peninsula will compete in various skills categories on Friday, February 7, 2025. The date coincides with SkillsUSA Week, which is celebrated annually by SkillsUSA chapters nationwide. The event provides state associations, advisors, and student members the chance to promote SkillsUSA programs and activities at the local and state levels, while emphasizing the significance of the skilled trade. The theme for this year’s SkillsUSA Competition is “Ignite Your Potential.”

Competitors will be on campus demonstrating their skills and talents in the areas of Automotive, Computer Maintenance Technology, and Welding. The students are competing for scholarship money, as well as the opportunity to advance to the statewide competition that will be held April 11-13 in Grand Rapids. During the competition, they are scored and receive feedback from college faculty and high school instructors, as well as local business representatives in the field who volunteer their time to support the students.

Bay College will award four $2,500 scholarships to students who place first in the overall categories and four $1,000 scholarships to students who place second in the overall categories.

“The SkillsUSA Competition being hosted at Bay College is a great showcase of area students and CTE programs that our region is fortunate to have within our communities,” states James Cousino, Bay College Dean of Business and Technology. “This event aligns with Career and Technical Education Month in February in support of education and training in high skill, high wage, and high demand occupations.”

SkillsUSA is a national organization serving high school and college students, along with professional members enrolled in training programs within technical, skilled, and service occupations (including health occupations in high schools and college/technical schools). SkillsUSA programs include local, state, and national competitions in which students demonstrate occupational and leadership skills.

For more information on Bay College’s Occupational Certificates and Degrees as well as the SkillsUSA competition, please contact the Dean’s Office at (906)-217-4081.