SKILLS JAM: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, the second season follow-up to the docuseries pilot season that debuted in 2023 and received more than 13 million views across social media, wrapped production in Atlanta last week, leaving 15,000 students and their parents in anticipation of the show’s September premiere.
Presented by Skilled Careers Coalition with reality home makeover star and master carpenter Ty Pennington in the role of host and mentor, SKILLS JAM: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE shares the thrills, chills and skills of 12 teens from across the country pursuing excellence and their dreams of skilled career success as they compete in the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference, an annual event that attracts thousands of the nation’s best students across 115 skilled careers and trades.
“SKILLS JAM is the next big thing! To be on the ground, get to know these students and see so much passion and talent was impressive,” Pennington said. “And for me to now be a mentor and help the next person coming up is something I truly love because I look into the eyes and hearts of these young people, and I know exactly how they feel. They want a chance to prove themselves, and SKILLS JAM is the opportunity for them to showcase their gifts, their talents and their dreams.”
“SKILLS JAM: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE turns the spotlight on the toolbelt generation’s best of the best skilled craftsmen and women, sharing their stories while inspiring more young people to follow an alternate path to career success,” said John Montgomery, co-executive director of Skilled Careers Coalition and executive producer of SKILLS JAM.
During filming, Pennington spent one-on-one time with each of the 12 students in the cast, getting to know their story and skills journey and documenting their experience throughout the intense four-day competition. Pennington also mixed it up with celebrity baker, cake artist and cookbook author Yolanda Gampp, who was on-site giving inspiration to students competing in the baking and culinary competitions. Together, the two reality stars had students, parents and industry leaders in attendance abuzz with excitement and hope about the future of skilled careers.
“Not everyone can be a doctor, a lawyer or a teacher,” Gampp said. “But jobs that require skills are necessary and they keep the world going ‘round. I think a career in the skilled trades is a great place to be.”
SKILLS JAM: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE tells the story of 12 student-competitors from five schools across five states set against the backdrop of the SkillsUSA 2024 National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, which was held on June 24-28. With more than 16,000 students in attendance, including 6,000 students vying for a national title across 115 skilled trade categories, the event is the largest gathering of America’s future skilled workforce and the ultimate recognition of excellence in career and technical education.
“The skilled labor gap is real,” said Jason Scales, chief operating officer of SkillsUSA. “But the truth is, skilled trades are cool. When we partnered with Skilled Careers Coalition and SKILLS JAM, that brought a whole new level of awareness to this situation by giving these students a voice and a platform to share their passion and talents with the world and their peers, and that’s how we’re changing the game.”
SKILLS JAM is an entertainment brand that includes a documentary short series and expanded playlist showcasing the stories of students from across America as they pursue skilled career success. Featuring video shorts and storytelling content created by students for students, SKILLS JAM: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE will air in early fall on YouTube as a series of six- to nine-minute documentary shorts.
“SKILLS JAM is about upping the cool factor of skilled careers as a rewarding path to success,” Montgomery added. “Our goal is to reach and inspire millions of kids to join the toolbelt generation and carve out their futures with their own hands because, when it comes to closing the skilled labor gap in sectors like construction, manufacturing and transportation that represent the backbone of the American economy, young adults are the rising stars making it happen.”
The skilled labor gap is impacting dozens of industries that rely on the skills and talents of workers across hundreds of disciplines. In manufacturing alone, unfilled jobs are expected to balloon to 3.8 million by 2033, according to a 2024 study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute. Through engaging content like SKILLS JAM: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE that showcases their peers and with mentors like Pennington, Skilled Careers Coalition is raising awareness of the endless possibilities, financial success, entrepreneurial control and career satisfaction that a skilled career offers.
