Putnam County School Honored with School of Excellence Award

Recognition of Excellence in Technical Education

PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. – A local technical school has been honored as one of the top schools in the country for its exceptional integration program. The SkillsUSA organization has named Putnam Career & Technical Center in Eleanor as one of the 2026 Most Outstanding SkillsUSA Programs.

This annual recognition highlights 24 schools that have demonstrated outstanding integration of personal, workplace, and technical skills. Putnam Career & Technical Center is among the schools being recognized for its excellence in personal skills.

SkillsUSA is a national organization dedicated to empowering students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members. The recognition of these schools is considered the highest honor bestowed by the organization on its chapters.

“Our SkillsUSA top 24 Models of Excellence schools represent the best in chapter achievement and community involvement,” said Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA. “These students are America’s future skilled workforce and future leaders in their local communities. It is a tremendous honor for these schools, and their recognition validates these outstanding SkillsUSA programs.”

The selected chapters will be interviewed in June at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta. The top three schools will be announced on June 5 at the SkillsUSA Awards Session at the State Farm Arena. In addition to national recognition, the winners will have the opportunity to share their stories in SkillsUSA publications and trainings.