The Chattooga High School Welding Fabrication Team has earned a remarkable second-place finish at the SkillsUSA National Championships, representing the State of Georgia against the nation’s top career and technical education students.

The Chattooga team consisted of Cooper Hampton, Skyler Ward, and Landon Dawson, who competed in the highly competitive Welding Fabrication event and brought home a national silver medal.

The SkillsUSA National Championships, held as part of the National Leadership & Skills Conference, is considered the premier workforce development event for career and technical education students in the United States. More than 6,500 state champions from across the country competed in 115 skilled and leadership events, all designed to showcase real-world workforce skills.

Industry professionals and employers develop and judge the competitions, ensuring students are evaluated on the same skills and standards currently demanded in today’s workforce.

The week-long event attracts nearly 20,000 attendees, including middle school, high school, and college students, instructors, administrators, and industry partners. In addition to the competitions, participants take part in leadership training, the Champions Festival, and the SkillsUSA TECHSPO, the nation’s largest technical education trade show.

The competition was held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, which has been selected as the long-term host site for the National Leadership & Skills Conference through 2033.

The national runner-up finish highlights the talent, dedication, and hard work of Chattooga High School’s welding students and their instructors, while placing Chattooga County among the top welding programs in the nation.