Students and working technicians will be honored side-by-side on the industry’s biggest stage
June 16, 2026 – Las Vegas, NV – At a moment when Gen Z is turning to the trades in record numbers, TechForce Foundation has partnered with the SEMA Show to present the 8th Annual Techs Rock Awards, a national celebration of the students and technicians powering America’s most essential industries. TechForce Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) not-for-profit dedicated to getting more people into skilled technician careers and keeping them there.
Each year, the Techs Rock Awards recognize standout students and working professionals in the technician field. For the second year in a row, Grand Prize recipients will be celebrated live at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. In front of thousands of manufacturers, employers, educators, and media, the nation’s top technicians will take the stage – not as a footnote to the industry, but as the headliners.
All finalists will receive a prize courtesy of Carlyle Tools. Grand Prize Winners will receive a 580-piece Carlyle Tools Master Tool Set and equipment package, including a service jack, two die grinders, and an air compressor. Finalists will be selected in six categories: Automotive and Motorsports; Diesel; Collision, Restoration, and Welding; Aviation, Motorcycle, and Marine; Emerging Technologies, presented by Hertz; and HVAC, Homes & Buildings, presented by Carrier. This year’s judging panel will include well-known voices in the industry, including Mike Spagnola, CEO of SEMA and PRI; Emily Reeves, co-creator of the popular YouTube channel Flying Sparks Garage; Jim Liaw, President and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach; Melanie White, CEO of Hellwig Products and recipient of the prestigious 2018 SEMA Person of the Year award; Mike Good, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum; and Sean Holman, host of The Truck Show Podcast and TechForce’s own First Shift Podcast, with additional industry leaders expected to join the panel. Each brings firsthand knowledge of what it takes to build a career with your hands, and a shared belief that the people doing that work deserve to be celebrated on the industry’s biggest stage.
The economy needs more than 240,000 new technicians every year. Schools are graduating about 102,000. That gap isn’t a pipeline problem, it’s a recognition problem. These are $50K–$80K careers in a $340 billion industry, no four-year degree required, and Gen Z is already paying attention. Completions are up across eight of ten sectors. The stigma is breaking. What hasn’t kept pace is the infrastructure to support students from discovery all the way through to a paycheck, and the visibility to show them this path is real.
“The interest is there. The talent is there. What these technicians haven’t always had is a room full of people telling them their work matters,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “That’s what the SEMA Show does. It puts the industry’s biggest spotlight on the people who keep it running; and for the students still figuring out their path, it makes the destination feel real.”
“The SEMA Show is where the automotive aftermarket industry’s future takes shape—through breakthrough products, new ideas, and rising talent,” said RJ de Vera, SEMA Vice President of Marketing. “Technicians play a critical role in that future, and with the TechForce Foundation, we’re proud to spotlight and support those who will carry the torch forward.” To learn more about the SEMA Show, become an exhibitor, or register to attend visit www.semashow.com.
Nominations open June 15 and close August 3. Anyone can nominate a deserving student or technician at TechForce.org/TechsRock. A panel of judges will review submissions and select the finalists. From September 21 through October 12, the public will vote to determine one student and one working technician as Grand Prize Winners. Both will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas to be honored on-stage during the show.
Since 2018, the Techs Rock Awards have recognized 79 outstanding students and technicians. But the point was never just the trophy. It’s the moment a young person sees someone who looks like them, doing what they do, standing on a stage that size, and decides this career is worth pursuing.
About SEMA and the SEMA Show
The SEMA Show is a trade show produced by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a nonprofit trade association founded in 1963. Since the first SEMA Show debuted in 1967, the annual event has served as the leading venue bringing together manufacturers and buyers within the automotive specialty equipment industry. Products featured at the SEMA Show include those that enhance the styling, functionality, comfort, convenience and safety of cars and trucks. Additional details are available at www.semashow.com or www.sema.org.
About TechForce Foundation
TechForce Foundation is a national not-for-profit 501(c)(3) transforming how students pursue skilled technician careers. Through its modern workforce development platform, TechForce guides more than 100,000 students and working technicians along their career journey, connecting them to more than $6.5 million in annual scholarships, wraparound support, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities. Operating in all 50 states and U.S. territories and partnering with more than 1,400 schools, TechForce champions technicians across industries, including automotive, diesel, collision repair, aviation, marine, motorcycle, HVAC, welding, and emerging technologies. As a scalable, data-driven ecosystem, TechForce connects talent to opportunity at every stage of the workforce pipeline. For more information, visit techforce.org. Follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and YouTube.