Washington Leadership Training Institute

Held in Washington, D.C., each September, SkillsUSA’s Washington Leadership Training Institute conference (WLTI) offers students and advisors from across the country unique opportunities to advocate for the skilled trades while receiving advanced leadership training. Other WLTI events include tours of D.C.’s famous monuments and museums, panel discussions with government officials, a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and more. The highlight of the four-day event is when student delegations conduct in-person visits with their elected officials on Capitol Hill to advocate for SkillsUSA and career and technical education. During those visits, students share the value and benefits of SkillsUSA participation through their own personal experiences and deliver passionate appeals for continued career and technical education support. Congressional leaders are inspired, and students gain a newfound sense of pride, purpose, and confidence. WLTI is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the hundreds of students who participate each year. SkillsUSA offers advanced training for students and advisors that focuses on professionalism, communication, and leadership skills.