“We’ve got to turn this into a T.V. show.” That is what John Montgomery, co-executive director of the Skilled Careers Coalition, said when he attended SkillsUSA, a national skilled-trades competition for teens, in 2021. But well before television, the first federal law in the United States relating to career and technical education—the Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act—was passed in 1917, providing funding to the states for agriculture, homemaking, and trade and industrial education. Over time, it became clear that vocational student organizations were an essential part of vocational instruction, so in 1963, the Vocational Educational Act was passed.
Following the passing of that act, in May of 1965, the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America—to be renamed SkillsUSA in 2004—was officially founded at the Trade and Industrial Youth Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, with 200 students, teachers and administrators, representing 14 states, in attendance. Today, SkillsUSA comprises over 413,000 CTE students and teachers, with chapters concentrated in middle schools, high schools and college institutions across the country. With a series of annual competitions, its championships are held each June in Atlanta. The 6,500 state champions who go on to the national championship have the opportunity to win not only gold, silver or bronze medals, but scholarships, job offers and more.
There are many avenues for recruiting youth to slikked-trades careers within various industries, and while SkillsUSA is a renowned organization and event throughout the skilled trades industry, Montgomery felt it deserved more hype—like that experienced by college basketball players during the NCAA’s March Madness tournament. It struck Montgomery that the skilled trades “need to create the same sort of energy around this—because for these kids, it’s just as badass as being the best point guard or the best guitar player.”
GAME PLAN
That is what SKILLS JAM is about—showcasing not only the larger construction industry but the emerging stars within the different skilled trades. A grand goal needs a grand plan, and Montgomery’s started with YouTube. As recent sports docuseries on Netflix—of Formula One racers, tennis players, golfers and others—follow the lives of professional athletes before, during and after make-or-break moments, the SKILLS JAM docuseries would debut young tradespeople in much the same way.
Through a 2023 three-episode pilot season, SKILLS JAM followed students on their path to nationals, getting to know them, their backstories, and their future hopes and dreams. Throughout the season, SKILLS JAM highlighted the competitors at the national championship, on the competition floor, giving their best to their craft. The series concluded with a follow-up after nationals. Where are these competitors now? Are they out in the industry? Did they get the job of their dreams?
Episode two, “The Blueprint for Victory,” answers some of those questions. One SKILLS JAM segment sees teams of four build a tiny home together over two days. Following the competition, SKILLS JAM brought some of those teams to a location where they could see their skills come to life—the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.
“They got a tour of the lot by John Daro, a lead digital intermediate colorist at Warner Brothers Studios. He’s the one who oversaw the building of the Harry Potter sets, so he’s legendary in the business,” says Montgomery. After a tour, the competitors got to meet with the head of plumbing, the head of electrical and the head of carpentry at Warner Bros. “This was all to show them they might build houses, sets, stages,” Montgomery says. “Or they might go live in Bali and build decks for the Four Seasons Hotel. Once they have that skill, it can take them anywhere.”
Montgomery then channeled his inner teenager and took to TikTok to disseminate a series of short-form videos cut from the SKILLS JAM long-form content—which performed incredibly well, to say the least. “We got tens of millions of views across TikTok,” he says. “We had things that went viral.”
One of those viral moments featured an all-girl team from North Carolina. One team member, a cheerleader, was preparing for prom and had her nails freshly manicured. “She’s not somebody you would [initially] think of as getting involved in construction,” says Montgomery, “but she’s a mason.”
In one of her videos, she was showing off her stellar masonry skills along with her French tips. What’s not surprising is she lost a nail—but what came next shocked the TikTokers. “In the video she said, ‘I was trying to think of what to do and I realized I could just use some of this mortar here.’ So, she put mortar on her nails,” says Montgomery, “and she fixed her nail. That trended on TikTok because it’s so unexpected. Those are the kind of stories we wanted to tell.”
GOING VIRAL
There was no shortage of talented teens to showcase, but that doesn’t mean the expedition was without its obstacles.
Montgomery says, “As we were making something from scratch that’s never been done before, there were times when we questioned, ‘Is this going to work? What if it’s a total dud?’ When you’re editing for 14 hours a day, at the end of the day you’re tired and just hoping it works.”
Another obstacle Montgomery and team faced was that, in addition to the breadth of talent each student possessed, they often engaged in an equal amount of work outside the competition. “We were dealing with students who have a lot going on in their lives,” says Montgomery. “They are not only a part of this—which is extracurricular—but this is on top of their schoolwork, their friends and family.”
As incredible as these students are, they are not expected to be professionals yet, neither at their craft nor in front of a camera—which posed another obstacle. Despite Gen Z’s affinity for social media, appearing in an official documentary is a little more daunting than recording a dance for TikTok. Navigating backstories that would translate and personalities that would light up in front of a camera was its own series of unpredictable trial and error. But even the search for that type of talent didn’t last long. Once Montgomery started working with all the students, he says, “Any ideas I had about the next generation were thrown out the window. It gives me faith in our future, seeing all these young people doing their thing and how incredible they are at such a young age.”
SEASON TWO: SNEAK PEAK
With each episode garnering tens of thousands of views on YouTube, of course SKILLS JAM is being renewed for a second season. Launching this September, SKILLS JAM: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE will bring all the excitement and personality from season one while adding even more elements; and Montgomery won’t have to worry about whether people will want to watch it.
During the four-day competition, beloved television personality and HGTV carpenter Ty Pennington hosted and mentored 12 teens from five schools in five states through their 2024 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference experience. Celebrity baker, cake artist and cookbook author Yolanda Gampp also makes an appearance to inspire the students competing in the baking and culinary competitions.
For Montgomery, “having everything come together and for the magic to happen” is what has made the making of this docuseries so special—and it’s what is sure to keep it going for seasons to come.
To learn more about all SKILLS JAM media and programs, visit skillsjam.com.
