CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Thousands of competitors are expected in Corpus Christi this week for the SkillsUSA Texas State Leadership and Skills Conference.
It is happening at multiple locations, including the American Bank Center. SkillsUSA said there will be 6,500 competitors across more than 150 events.
It is all setting the stage for the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in June in Atlanta. But first, everyone has to compete in SkillsUSA Texas, which is held annually in Corpus Christi.
"We're looking at over 6,800 room nights at local hotels and that equates to over a million dollars in room revenue for the hoteliers," District 4 Corpus Christi City Councilmember Dan Suckley said.
Suckley said those estimates were given by SkillsUSA for this year's event.
Since Proposition A did not pass last November, which could have helped pay for a convention center hotel with a type of sales tax, the American Bank Center does not have a hotel connected to it.
He said if a convention center hotel was built by a private developer or if the City of Corpus Christi partnered with a hotelier to build one, it could bring other large events like this to the Coastal Bend.
"That would be an advantageous tool for our folks that are trying to bring group business to Corpus Christi to have in their pocket," Suckley said.
He said the other economic impact of this year's SkillsUSA Texas on Corpus Christi restaurants and beyond could total nearly $6.3 million.
Jana Kawasmi is a Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute student, which is in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. She said her career objective is in health science and is competing in multiple events for the first time. She said SkillsUSA Texas helps with networking and making connections for her career.
"Not only is it important to show your passions in your work but you have to also showcase it with the people around you," Kawasmi said. "Because, honestly, you have to work with others to reach our goals and ultimately better the workforce of America."
Braylen Perkins plans to major in engineering when he goes to college and said SkillsUSA Texas helps him get ahead of the competition. A Miller Career and Technology Center student, located in Katy, he said this is his second year competing.
"It was just crazy to see all these people competing in all these different competitions and all these students trying to better their education and professional development," Perkins said.
Kawasmi said she has been in SkillsUSA since she was in 7th grade and it improved her as a leader while also helping her get out of her comfort zone.
Perkins added that he encourages anyone who is interested to get involved with SkillsUSA.
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