3M announced the company will be the lead sponsor for the SkillsUSA national team as they face off against young people from 70 countries at the WorldSkills competition in Kazan, Russia in 2019.

Historically, fewer than 10 U.S. students participated in the WorldSkills event. With 3Mgives sponsorship, a team of 21 trained competitors will compete in WorldSkills.

There are competitions in more than fifty skills across a wide range of industries — from joinery and electronics to autobody repair and culinary arts. 

3M is supporting this event to inspire the next generation of workers to help fill the skills gap in the trades to meet the evolving needs of manufacturing.

3M recruits, hires and relies on the best skilled trade workers worldwide but many of those manufacturing jobs are highly technical and require specialized training. 

Over the next 10 years, skilled trade jobs are expected to increase faster than the national average of all jobs. Meanwhile, the industry is experiencing a skills gap in manufacturing and other trade jobs: A recent survey found that 38 percent of employers are having difficulty filling skilled jobs*.

3Mgives is also a sponsor of the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference held June 25-29 in Louisville, including participation from eight 3M corporate groups and businesses. 

• Read more about the upcoming WorldSkills competition.
• Read more about SkillsUSA organization and SkillsUSA Championships.
• To learn more about how training and education as a skilled worker can pay off, read this story about 3M’s Elise Groenewold, former SkillsUSA winner turned automotive collision repair technician. 

*Source:Bureau of Labor Statistics/Manpower Group survey.