WorldSkills was founded in 1950 and currently has members from 50 countries, with efforts constantly being made to expand the membership. In 1973, President Richard M. Nixon recognized SkillsUSA (then known as VICA) as the official organization representing the United States. Only one organization may represent a country in the official delegation and certify that country’s international contestants.

SkillsUSA appoints one official delegate and one technical delegate to the governing body of the WorldSkills Organization, called the Member Assembly. A technical expert from the United States is appointed to each contest in which the United States competes and is responsible for working with technical experts from other countries to organize, conduct and judge that contest.

Team Selection Procedures and Criteria

1. SkillsUSA will only compete in those WSC contests for which it has a well-qualified competitor, a well-qualified technical expert, adequate industry support for conducting qualifying trials, advanced training and general operating costs of the TeamUSA contestant prior to the WSC.
2. SkillsUSA’s Youth Development Foundation is responsible for obtaining financial support for TeamUSA’s general operating costs, financial and in-kind support for qualifying trials and advanced training of TeamUSA members.
3. The age limit set by WorldSkills for contestants is 22 during the calendar year of the WSC. (One exception applies to the two-member Mechatronics team — they may be 25 years old.)
4. Because the WSC is a biennial competition, students from two SkillsUSA Championships are considered. The number of competitors and selection procedure is determined by the technical experts and industry sponsors.
5. High school and college/postsecondary contestants are invited to attend qualifying trials if they received the highest scores in relevant skills tests at previous SkillsUSA Championships and meet the age requirement. If these contestants are unable to attend, the next most qualified contestants are invited. Because invitation to the trials is based on scoring in selected skills to be tested at the WSC, SkillsUSA Championships medal winners are not guaranteed an invitation to qualifying trials.
6. Invitations to compete at qualifying trials will be sent to eligible SkillsUSA Championships competitors who are selected by the national organization, and their instructors and state association directors will be notified.
7. Contestants are judged not only against other competitors in qualifying trials, but also against international performance standards. Therefore, being the top performer at the qualifying trials does not always guarantee selection for TeamUSA.
8. Advanced training may require contestants to temporarily relocate. Contestants will not be expected to pay for their training or to relocate without adequate financial support.
9. In addition to attending qualifying trials and advanced training, TeamUSA members are required to attend a two- to three-day orientation session prior to departure for the WSC.