The final curtain on SkillsUSA’s 2026 National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta fell on June 5.
The event, which began on June 1, was held at the Georgia World Congress Center and State Farm Arena. The SkillsUSA Championships brought together more than 6,800 state champions competing in 115 skilled and leadership competitions.
The Collision Repair Technology contest tested students on repair tasks tied to modern bodyshop work, including metal straightening, attachment methods, plastic repair and structural analysis. Competitors were also assessed through written testing tied to collision repair knowledge, including an ASE exam and a structural analysis evaluation.
The Automotive Refinishing Technology contest focused on paint and refinish work, including surface preparation, masking, spray gun operation, paint mixing, colour matching, paint application and finish quality. Competitors were ranked on their colour tinting, featheredging, priming and blocking, paint identification and masking.
The U.S. event followed the Skills Canada National Competition, held last month in Toronto, where Canadian students and apprentices competed in more than 40 skill areas. Skills/Compétences Canada recognized its 2026 national medalists at a closing ceremony on May 30 after more than 500 competitors took part at the Enercare Centre.
In Canada’s car painting competition, Manitoba’s Cassandra Foy won gold at the post-secondary level, while Ontario’s Peyton Miller Plante won gold at the secondary level. In post-secondary autobody repair, British Columbia’s Vladyslav Usach won gold, while British Columbia’s Sy Korf won gold in secondary autobody repair.
Final SkillsUSA results were expected after Friday’s awards session.
In Collision Repair Technology, [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won gold in the high school division. [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won silver and [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won bronze.
In Collision Repair Technology, [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won gold in the college/postsecondary division. [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won silver and [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won bronze.
In Automotive Refinishing Technology, [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won gold in the high school division. [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won silver and [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won bronze.
In Automotive Refinishing Technology, [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won gold in the college/postsecondary division. [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won silver and [NAME] of [STATE/SCHOOL] won bronze.
