Addison Greenway, left, of South Carolina and Eugene Martinez of New Mexico compete in the welding competition at the Skills USA competition in Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri. The American Welding Society estimates that the country will be short 200,000 welders by next year.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a recession that has left millions of people jobless, James Waite just got a $6 an hour raise.

Waite, a certified nursing assistant for 10 years, went back to training school to become a practical nurse for a nursing home. He just completed the program, and was rewarded with the bump in pay.

"I now have more control, more responsibility," said Waite, 52, who attended Northeast Kansas Technical Center. "The demand for practical nurses is very high. Even with the weak economy, there seems to be less competition for jobs like this."

Waite was among the competitors drawn to the practical-nursing contest at the SkillsUSA conference in Kansas City recently. The annual conference pitted thousands of the best high school and postsecondary students from around the country in more than 90 skills and occupational competitions.

Waite is not alone in his workplace experience. The nation has lost 6 million jobs since the recession began, and the unemployment rate is now over 9 percent. Yet, certain highly skilled jobs remain in strong demand, and employers are clamoring to fill them.

Manpower Inc.'s annual U.S. "talent shortage survey" showed virtually no change this year from the jobs in most demand compared with last year. Skilled trades workers are needed. So are engineers, nurses, teachers, technicians, information technology workers and machine operators.

"Despite high levels of unemployment in many markets, this year's talent survey suggests a mismatch between the type of individuals available for work and the specific skills that employers are looking for," said Jeffrey A. Joerres, Manpower's chairman and chief executive. "This conundrum is frustrating both employers and individuals."

That's where SkillsUSA comes in. With businesses, unions and industry associations participating, SkillsUSA becomes a chance for many students to make contacts and showcase their ability for potential employment.

SkillsUSA organizers were worried about attendance this year as state travel budgets have been cut in the wake of the economic downturn. But those fears were unfounded. More than 5,000 students entered in the contests, and a total of about 14,000 people were expected to be involved in some aspect of the conference. Those numbers are comparable to recent years for Kansas City's biggest convention."In a down economy, we were concerned about attendance this year," said Jane Short, SkillsUSA's program director. "But the conference turnout is as high as it's ever been. I think it shows our instructors and students know that these are some of the most-needed occupations right now."Gene Hornberger agrees with that assessment. Hornberger, the committee chairman for the welding competition, said the average age of American welders is in the 50s. The American Welding Society estimates that the country will be short 200,000 welders by next year."There's a generation of welders who are close to retiring, and there's a demand for this type of skill," said Hornberger, now a retired welding consultant in Hampton, Va. "There's always that stigma about vocational education, with parents not wanting their kids in those jobs. But you have to be able to think and adapt to become a welder, and that's part of what you learn at SkillsUSA."Some jobs are in greater demand because of the recession.Kansas City Kansas Community College Technical Center last year started a major-appliance technology program to teach people to repair refrigerators, washing machines and other big household appliances."When the economy's chugging along and everybody's got disposable income, people think of appliances as a throwaway item when it breaks down," said Jake Carmack, the program's instructor. "But when there's a downturn, people are more likely to repair it rather than replace it."Five students were enrolled in the program's first year. All have found jobs, and one entered in the national SkillsUSA competition.Two Whirlpool Corp. executives at a booth at Bartle Hall hope similar programs sprout up around the country."We're here representing the industry and hoping to convince more colleges and vocational schools to add a major appliance technology program," said Craig Parks, Whirlpool's regional market manager. "There are major shortages in many parts of the country for service technicians. If we don't have a technician in your area, guess what? You're going to have to wait for service. It's not a good place to be."The Conference Board, a business research organization, noted that among the top 10 job vacancies posted online, two categories had more jobs available than people seeking those positions: health care practitioners, and computer and mathematical science.While jobs are plentiful in health care, some, like Lindsey Levota, just gravitate to the field without considering the strong demand for skilled workers.Levota, a rising high school senior, aspires to be a radiologist, ultimately with her own practice."When I was younger, I fell down and hurt my knee," she said. "I had to have it X-rayed, and I just thought it was the coolest thing. So ever since, I've wanted to be a radiologist."

Catherine Halmi of New Jersey, left, and Mateuz Plaza, right, of New York compete in the Skills USA competition at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri. SkillsUSA is a chance for many students to make contacts and showcase their ability for potential employment.