High School Students Gain Hands-On Career Experience at AC Through SkillsUSA Contests

High school students from across the region got a head start on their careers thanks to a partnership between Amarillo College and Amarillo Independent School District that brought the 2026 SkillsUSA District 3 contests to Amarillo for the first time.

The competitions, held Feb. 12-13, gave students the opportunity to showcase technical skills in trade and industrial programs and qualify for the state-level contests in Corpus Christi next month, with the chance to advance to the national competition in Atlanta this summer.

For years, these state-qualifying contests were hosted in Lubbock at South Plains College, but Amarillo College stepped in this year to offer its campuses and facilities, including AC East, AC IO, the AC First Responders Academy, AmTech, and Tascosa High School, as sites for the events and closing ceremonies.

“Amarillo College’s willingness to be involved made a big difference,” said Trevor Hurst, advanced technical credit teacher at Lubbock ISD. “It’s exciting for our students to experience a new environment and see firsthand the resources available to them at a college campus. The instructors and staff at Amarillo College were incredibly supportive.”

AC East hosted trade-related contests in construction, carpentry, electrical wiring, electrical NEC testing, HVAC, and welding, and there are plans to expand future contests to include sheet metal, aviation, marine, auto, diesel mechanics, and auto collision. Machining contests were held at AmTech, home to Amarillo College’s adult machining training program in partnership with AISD.

The events provided an opportunity for Amarillo College to showcase its programs to high school students, sparking interest from schools like Friendship ISD and Lubbock ISD in partnering with AC’s Construction Technology Program. Students participating in these programs gain real-world experience while learning skills that prepare them for college-level courses and careers in high-demand industries.

“Programs like this allow students to see what’s possible and get a head start on their future,” said Hurst. “They not only compete—they learn what it takes to succeed in technical careers.”

For more information about dual credit classes in technical courses, check out the offerings by school districts on actx.edu. Students who earn 15 hours of AC dual credit in high school are eligible for 45 hours of credit through Badger Bound at Amarillo College toward a certificate and/or an associate’s degree.