Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO)

CTSO stands for Career and Technical Student Organization. These are student-led organizations that are an integral part of career and technical education (CTE) programs, providing students with opportunities to develop skills through leadership activities, competitions, and community service related to their chosen career fields. Examples include FFA (Future Farmers of America), HOSA (Future Health Professionals), and DECA. 

• Purpose: To supplement classroom and laboratory instruction with hands-on learning experiences that develop both technical and professional skills. 

• Goals: Common goals across different CTSOs include leadership development, academic and career achievement, professional development, and community service. 

• Membership: Students in middle school, high school, and post-secondary institutions enrolled in a CTE program can join. 

• Examples of CTSOs include

  • FFA (Future Farmers of America) 
  • HOSA-Future Health Professionals 
  • DECA 
  • FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) 
  • SkillsUSA 
  • TSA (Technology Student Association) 
  • FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) 

Skills USA Overview

Representing more than 444,000 career and technical education students and teachers, SkillsUSA chapters thrive in middle schools, high schools and college/postsecondary institutions nationwide. Our mission is accomplished through the SkillsUSA Framework of Personal Skills, Workplace Skills and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics, which is integrated into classroom curriculum.

Through the Framework, SkillsUSA students hone their hands-on skills against current industry standards in more than 100 occupational areas, from 3D Animation to Welding and nearly everything in between. At the same time, they develop the transformative career-readiness skills — teamwork, communication, professionalism, leadership and more — that fuel career and life success.

A vital solution to the ongoing skills gap, where more highly skilled jobs are available than skilled professionals ready to fill them, SkillsUSA has served over 15 million diverse, difference-making members since 1965.

Mission: SkillsUSA is America’s proud champion of the skilled trades. Our mission is to empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members.

Vision: SkillsUSA’s vision is to produce the most highly skilled workforce in the world, providing every member the opportunity for career success.

Values: The success of SkillsUSA’s mission depends on the commitment of our staff and stakeholders to SkillsUSA values.

Opening and Closing Ceremonies Competition: This teamwork and oral presentation competition evaluates a team’s understanding of the symbolic representation of the colors and assembled parts of the SkillsUSA emblem. Each team includes seven registered members in the roles of president, vice president, parliamentarian, reporter, treasurer, secretary and historian.

Entrepreneurship Competition: A team event testing students' knowledge in starting their own businesses by developing business plans that identify needed products or services in a local market. Emphasis is placed on financial planning and practicality of the product/service. Teams give oral presentations based upon their written plans, and the team must successfully answer judges' questions in response to typical problems encountered by entrepreneurs during their first year of business.