Joshua Loyd was born in Carbondale, Illinois, to career military parents. 

His freshman year in high school, Josh’s instructor took him to the SkillsUSA Illinois State Leadership & Skills Conference as a spectator and video recorder for each competitor. Josh enjoyed the experience and looked forward to being able to be a competitor himself. As a student from a small town, there was not much opportunity to get out and meet people from all over the state. Seeing competitors in over 130 different competitions was an eye- opening experience. 

Josh competed in the Principles of Technology competition and placed in the top three. He speaks to the competition experience in preparing him to think analytically as he progressed toward obtaining a spot at the United States Military Academy at West Point. 

As a SkillsUSA Illinois officer, Josh saw a more structured aspect to the program of how to act and what to say. He points out that there is no booklet on how to hold a conversation, but the training and conditioning received helped him learn to communicate effectively and professionally. This practice was helpful and applied directly to associating with, and being a part of, higher leadership. 

After SkillsUSA Illinois, Josh enlisted in the US Army and became an infantryman specializing in Drill and Ceremony. From there, he went to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He continued working a bit in the electrical field, building robots and working different design projects, before eventually earning a degree in business. Josh now lives in Washington DC, a location where he traveled with SkillsUSA Illinois to advocate for career technical education (CTE) on Capitol Hill. He is casting a wide net to settle into his career.

While at West Point, Josh believes his officer experiences in SkillsUSA Illinois were echoed. There were many interactions with various levels of ranked individuals where he felt more prepared in understanding the thought process and communicated tasks. As West Point is a leadership institute which conditions officers to critically think, SkillsUSA Illinois was great preparation for Josh because he was able to see what is expected early on. 

When asked what he would suggest to anyone considering taking part in SkillsUSA Illinois, Josh says “Absolutely do it! If there is even a sliver of interest in the over 100 trades, there is something to gain from the program. There are business aspects that are important, but it is also important to focus on doing what brings you enjoyment.” Josh believes industries do not fully understand just how much these CTE programs help connect students with the business partners who so desperately need someone of their caliber. 

Josh feels strongly that the benefits of SkillsUSA Illinois can be applied to aid business and industry. These industry partners only need to look at all that SkillsUSA Illinois encompasses to see that. If industry were to rank students on competency and skills, Josh can’t imagine why they would want to overlook some of the most well-developed, trained, and skilled resources in the state, or even the country.