Championships

The Office of Workforce Development is pleased to announce the following competition updates for the 2027 National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC). Gateway resources and related materials have been updated to reflect these changes.

Following the State Director Association Conference, several final decisions and updates have been made for the 2026–28 competition cycle.

Occupational Health and Safety:

Middle school division has been added to the newly combined

Occupational Health and Safety competition to support participation and future growth. This brings the total number of middle school competitions to 25. Occupational Health and Safety (Single) and Occupational Health and Safety (Multiple) have been combined and renamed Occupational Health and Safety. The Single and Multiple designations will no longer be used.

Job Skill Demonstration A and B:

Job Skill Demonstration Open has been renamed Job Skill Demonstration B. Eligibility language has been clarified to distinguish between the two competitions.

JSDA: To evaluate each competitor’s ability to demonstrate and explain an entry-level technical skill used in their occupational area.

JSDB: To evaluate each competitor’s ability to demonstrate and explain an entry-level technical skill used in any occupational area.

A new letter will be required for both competitions to verify that the technical skill being demonstrated is occupational in nature, helping judges and competition coordinators recognize eligible skills across a wide range of occupational areas.

Carpentry: The Technical Standards were revised Aug. 11, 2026, to update competitor-supplied equipment and materials. The extension cord has been removed, and the circular saw has been updated to battery powered.  State directors who previously downloaded the standards from Gateway should replace that file with the revised version.

The final 2026-28 Technical Standards for all competitions, reflecting decisions made following the SDA Conference, are now available in Gateway.