SkillsUSA selects auto technology U.S. competitor for 2026 WorldSkills
SkillsUSA has selected James Cahill of Saint James, Missouri, as the official automobile technology U.S. competitor for the 2026 WorldSkills Competition.
The international skills competition, often referred to as the “Olympics of skilled trades,” will take place from Sept. 22–27, 2026, in Shanghai, China.
Cahill, an automotive student at State Technical College of Missouri and 2024 graduate of Rolla Technical Institute & Center, was the SkillsUSA Missouri high school state champion for automotive service technology in 2023 and 2024. He was also the college/postsecondary champion in 2025.
In 2024, Cahill placed second in the nation at the annual SkillsUSA Championships, which is held during the National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
“My experience with SkillsUSA has prepared me by helping me to pursue opportunities outside of my comfort zone and to help others along the way,” Cahill said in a press release.
He added that it’s an honor to be selected and trusted to represent SkillsUSA on an international stage.
The WorldSkills Competition brings young people together with industry, education, and government leaders from around the world to advance career and technical education and training. Competitors vie for international honors in skill competitions and showcase dozens of trade skills.
“It’s a great opportunity to challenge myself and gain experience that I can use for the rest of my life,” Cahill said. “Once upon a time, going to nationals sounded crazy to me, but now, here I am representing the whole country.”
Cahill called his selection a “major responsibility” and will prepare for the competition with the support of industry professionals and his expert, Rusty Brown, a senior engineer with Toyota Motor North America.
“I’m honored to be the automotive technical expert and represent SkillsUSA at the WorldSkills Competition,” Brown said in the release. “I’m very thrilled to have the opportunity to coach talented young professionals, such as James Cahill, and give back to the SkillsUSA organization.”
Cahill said this competition means a lot to him.
“When I was a child, I had a fascination with how mechanical things worked, and in order to understand them, I would take them apart,” he said. “The first thing I learned was how to take outlet covers off, which kept my mom pretty busy.”
He discovered his knack for automobile technology during an automotive class at school, where he learned hands-on.
“That really sparked my interest in cars due to the real-world experience and actual fixing of vehicles,” Cahill said. “From there, I started fixing my family’s, friends’, and friends-of-friends’ vehicles. The biggest thing to me about this career path is being able to help other people and benefitting the community.”
Cahill is the second competitor named to the U.S. delegation for the international competition. SkillsUSA will name additional competitors, experts, and sponsors in the coming months.
Jerry Goodson, a collision repair instructor at Fox Valley Technical College in Wisconsin and the WorldSkills Team USA autobody expert, recently reached out to Repairer Driven News to encourage industry support of WorldSkills.
“The U.S. should be supporting this more,” he said. “We rely on our workers every day, and unfortunately, it’s the sports that get all the attention. This is an opportunity for skilled trades to recognize that these are family-supporting jobs that are available. I’ve been with SkillsUSA for going on 20 years now, and it’s just an awesome organization, but this is the next level up.”
Goodson added that, even if students who participate in SkillsUSA don’t win, they will still benefit from learning leadership and skill sets that are of value to the skilled trades in general.
As for how the collision repair industry can get involved, he encourages participation in local high school and college program advisory committees and supporting educational fundraisers associated with the programs.
Since 1950, WorldSkills has come to symbolize the pinnacle of excellence in vocational training by providing a unique means of exchange and comparison of world-class competency standards in the industrial trades and service sectors of the global economy, the release states.
Donations to support Cahill and the WorldSkills USA team can be made at worldskillsusa.org/donate.
Images
Featured image: James Cahill of Saint James, Missouri, will participate in the 2026 WorldSkills Competition as the official automobile technology U.S. competitor. (Photo provided by SkillsUSA)