Austin Public Schools has something to be proud of: creating future leaders.

Austin High School sent two students to the annual SkillsUSA State Leadership Training Conference to develop themselves as future leaders in Alexandria, Minnesota. The three-day event drew students from high schools and technical colleges statewide.

During the conference, AHS earned two blue ribbons, two red ribbons and one white ribbon for their performance.

SkillsUSA is a nationwide partnership of businesses, industry, career and technical instructors, and students. It teaches students about leadership, industry skills, and assists teachers with program development. SkillsUSA also provides quality workers to business and industry. The membership consists of 330,000 high school and technical students in 15,000 chapters.

Skills learned during the conference were to help students with public speaking, creative problem solving, team building and critical thinking, said Trina Walter, executive staff member of SkillsUSA Minnesota, which would help with students becoming leaders in SkillsUSA and the workforce.

“The skills learned and improved at this conference are the ones that will benefit these students their entire life,” Walter said. “In addition, they will help our entire country by being better prepared, skilled workers and leaders as they pursue their careers.”