The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) is partnering with SkillsUSA on a critical initiative that will directly impact the next generation of professionals entering our industry. SkillsUSA is revamping its Architectural Drafting Standards and Competencies—the very framework that guides what students learn and how they’re evaluated in the SkillsUSA Architectural Drafting Competition.

We need your voice now. 

The industry feedback period is open, and your perspective as a practitioner is invaluable.

Why This Matters

SkillsUSA’s standards shape how instructors teach and what students practice before they walk into your office. When standards are current, relevant, and aligned with what firms actually need, new hires arrive ready to contribute. When standards lag behind industry evolution, there’s a painful gap between the classroom and the workplace—one you’ve probably felt firsthand.

This revamp is your opportunity to close that gap before it forms.

What’s Changing: A New Three-Tier Framework

For decades, SkillsUSA has organized standards around general competencies. The new approach—developed through SkillsUSA’s national initiative—structures standards into three distinct tiers, each representing a different career stage:

Tier 1: Foundational Competencies

These are the core skills that every student in an architectural drafting program needs, regardless of their ultimate path. Think of this as the baseline—the non-negotiables. Students master basic mathematics and geometry, learn construction fundamentals, develop CAD proficiency, understand how to read plans, and practice hand sketching. They learn safety protocols, building materials, and how site constraints like topography and property boundaries affect design. This is where future drafters build their foundation.

What instructors teach: Technical knowledge, basic drafting software, plan reading and interpretation, accurate labeling, and basic design literacy.

What students need: High school diploma or equivalent, basic computer skills, willingness to learn.

Tier 2: Entry-Level Competencies

This is the critical tier—it defines what an entry-level employee must be able to do on day one. Students build advanced proficiency in CAD and BIM software, create complete plan sets (multi-level plans, cross-sections, framing plans), master code requirements and zoning regulations, understand building science concepts like energy efficiency and ventilation, and develop real professional skills—solving problems in real time, collaborating with clients and builders, and executing rigorous accuracy checks.

This tier asks the question: “What should a new hire actually be ready to do without constant oversight?”

What instructors teach: Advanced software, complete plan sets, regulatory knowledge, professional collaboration, accuracy verification, and construction terminology.

What students need: Completion of foundational coursework, demonstrated CAD proficiency, basic code/building science knowledge, and ideally, a portfolio showing multi-level plan work.

Tier 3: High-Level Competencies

This represents a very strong entry-level employee—someone who’s done an internship, has significant hands-on experience, and can work from conceptual design through complete working drawings. They produce advanced 3D models and visualizations, apply sophisticated design mathematics, deeply understand architectural styles and specialty features, grasp advanced building science, understand cost estimating and value engineering, and interact expertly with clients. These are the professionals who can mentor others and contribute strategic thinking to a firm.

What makes a Tier 3 professional a “superstar”? 6+ months of internship experience, strong software proficiency (Revit, Chief Architect, AutoCAD, etc.), proven soft skills—showing up on time, dressing professionally, communicating clearly—and the ability to manage design from concept to completion.

The Evolution: What’s Actually Changing From 2024-26

The current standards (2024-26) focus on technical tasks like producing multiview drawings, creating section views, developing site plans and floor plans, and applying dimensioning practices. The new framework keeps that technical rigor and adds layers that matter in real practice:

• Professional Communication: How to actually work with clients, builders, and team members
• Building Science: Energy efficiency, insulation, ventilation—not just theory, but applied understanding
• Regulatory Knowledge: Codes, zoning, and how they shape design decisions
• Accuracy Verification: Real quality control practices, not just perfection on one drawing
• Problem-Solving in Real Time: Quick sketches, design options, rapid iteration—the way actual design work happens

Instead of dumbing things down, standards reflect what really matters in practice.

The Key Question: What Should New Hires Know?

Here’s what we’re asking you to consider:

When you bring on a junior drafter fresh from a SkillsUSA program, what do you actually need them to be able to do?

Not eventually. Not after a month of training. Day one.

• Can they produce accurate floor plans and elevations without constant redirection?
• Do they understand basic code requirements and why they matter?
• Can they collaborate effectively—take client feedback and iterate quickly?
• Do they understand construction terminology well enough to communicate with builders?
• Can they verify their own work and catch their own mistakes?
• What gaps frustrate you most in new hires today?

What We’re Asking For: Specific Feedback

The SkillsUSA review team wants detailed input on these three tiers. Specifically:

Clarity and Completeness: Are the competencies, skills, and learning outcomes clear and complete? Do they cover what actually matters in your practice?

Realism: Do the instructional tasks feel realistic for schools? Can teachers actually teach this? Is the equipment list practical? Do the credential expectations make sense?

Workplace Alignment: How well do these standards align with current professional practice? Are there gaps? Are there things that shouldn’t be there? What emerging technologies or practices should be included?

SkillsUSA Framework Skills: The standards integrate broader professional skills—integrity, teamwork, communication, decision-making, professionalism, adaptability. Are these balanced correctly for each tier? Which are most critical in architectural drafting?

Real-World Readiness: Looking at Tier 2 specifically—does a student who masters these competencies arrive at your firm genuinely ready to contribute? Or are there critical skills missing?

How to Share Your Input

Option 1: Comment on the Google Sheet (Best for detailed, specific feedback)
Access the full standards in Google Sheet format. Find a blank cell, right-click, and choose “Comment” or “Insert Note.” Add your thoughts directly to the document where they’re most relevant.

Option 2: Comment Here (Easy for broader feedback)
Share your perspective in the comments section below. Your input will be compiled and forwarded to the SkillsUSA review team.

Questions for Your Consideration

Take a moment and think about your own hiring experience:

• Tier 2 Reality Check: If someone masters the Tier 2 competencies listed in the standards, would they be genuinely ready for your firm? Why or why not?
• The Biggest Gaps: What skills do new hires most often lack when they arrive at your firm? Are these included in the standards?
• What’s Not on the List: What should be included that isn’t? What deserves more emphasis? What’s over-emphasized?
• The Soft Skills: How important are communication, collaboration, and problem-solving compared to pure technical CAD proficiency? Should the balance shift?
• Emerging Practice: How has your firm changed in the last 2-3 years? What new capabilities do you now expect from entry-level professionals? Are those reflected in these standards?
• Long-term Readiness: Looking ahead 5-10 years, what should today’s students be prepared for? AI tools? Modular construction? Net-zero design? Remote collaboration? What’s missing?
• Real Superstar Qualities: When you think about your best junior hires—the ones who thrived and grew—what did they know and what did they do that set them apart? Are those qualities captured in the standards?

The Timeline: Act Now

The SkillsUSA review team is actively gathering feedback to finalize the standards. The sooner your input arrives, the more it can be considered and incorporated. The final draft is due December 16, 2025.

Why Your Voice Matters

As an architectural professional, you see the gap between education and practice every time you hire someone. You know what works and what doesn’t. You understand what’s changed in your industry over the past few years. You have perspective on where the profession is headed.

SkillsUSA standards are written by educators and industry experts working together—and right now, they’re asking for your input. This is your chance to help shape what the next generation of architectural drafters learns and how they’re prepared for real professional work.

Share your insights in the comments below or on the Google Sheet. Your expertise directly shapes the standards that will guide students for the next two years and beyond.

Additional Resources 

• SOC Codes
  • Please use the attached list and link above to verify the SOC code(s) most closely aligned with the competition in which you administer. 
• SkillsUSA Framework
  • In each tier, please select the Essential Elements that are needed at each level by students and employees. 
  • The Essential Elements are those that are bulleted in the link above. If you need more information on any Essential Element, please let me know. 
  • Think about this through a lens on your particular industry. For example, which tier should integrity and teamwork be in for your industry, and what are some examples of how SkillsUSA advisors may assess integrity and teamwork in their classroom of students in your industry 
• WorldSkills Occupational Standards
  • The WorldSkills Occupational Standards can be used as an additional resource to identify standards and competencies. 
  • There’s no Occupational Standard for all SkillsUSA Championship competitions. 
  • These are from WorldSkills 2024; the Occupational Standards for WorldSkills 2026 have not yet been released. 
• Apprenticeship Standards
  • This can be used as an additional resource to identify standards, competencies, and work tasks. 
  • I recommend looking at National Standards, as opposed to state-specific ones. 
• DOL Work Activities
  • This can be used as an additional resource to identify occupations and work activities.