Students and technicians will be honored side by side on the industry’s biggest stage

TechForce Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to building the pipeline of skilled technicians, has partnered with the SEMA Show, the automotive aftermarket industry’s premier trade event, to present the 7th annual Techs Rock Awards. For the first time in the program’s history, the Awards will be presented live on stage at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Each year, the Techs Rock Awards recognize standout students and working professionals in the technician field. This year marks a major milestone. Honorees/grand prize recipients will be celebrated live at the SEMA Show, the epicenter of the global automotive aftermarket. In front of thousands of manufacturers, employers, educators, and media, the nation's top technicians will receive the recognition they have earned through their skill, dedication, and impact.

Winners will be honored on Nov. 5, 2025, during the SEMA Show. Finalists will be selected in six categories: Automotive and Motorsports, Diesel, Collision Restoration and Welding, Aviation Motorcycle and Marine, and Evolving Technologies and HVAC. This year’s judging panel will include well-known voices in the industry, including ChrisFix, YouTube’s most-followed automotive DIY creator, and Humble Mechanic, a trusted voice in technician education and culture.

Technicians are the workforce behind every vehicle on the road, every aircraft in the sky, and every delivery that reaches its destination. These careers are essential to our economy, but they are too often overlooked.

“Technicians don’t just fix things. They keep America moving,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “The SEMA Show gives us a national platform to say, ‘We see you. We value you.’ And for the students preparing to join the workforce, it shows there is a future in this field that is respected and 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.”

Nominations open June 24 and close Aug. 11. Anyone can nominate a deserving student or technician at www.techforce.org/techsrock. A panel of judges will review submissions and select the finalists. From Sept. 24 through Oct. 15, 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 SEMA Show.

Since 2018, the Techs Rock Awards have recognized 77 outstanding students and technicians. The program highlights the value of technical careers and helps lift up role models who are shaping the future of the skilled trades.

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 nonprofit 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. The Foundation supports the technician workforce by awarding more than $6 million each year in scholarships and grants to financially disadvantaged students. TechForce also works to shift public perception of this evolving, high-tech STEM career path and provides hands-on career exploration and workforce development programs in communities across the country. For more information, visit www.techforce.org.

Tagged: professional technicians

SEMA Show Partners with TechForce Foundation to Host National Awards Honoring the Next Generation of America’s Skilled Workforce