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More Honors from the WorldSkills Competition

October 1st, 2009
I’m pleased to announce that Jack Frederick, our automobile technology contestant on the SkillsUSA WorldTeam and a former national officer, received the Albert Vidal Award during the WorldSkills Competition in Calgary. The Albert Vidal Award recognizes the top 20 scorers among all 900 contestants in all contests. This award is in addition to Jack’s silver medallion in the automobile technology competition and his gold medal for being the best of nation.
Just to recap: the 16-member SkillsUSA WorldTeam entered 15 contests and brought home two silver medallions and four medallions of excellence for scoring above 500 points in the 600-point contests. This is the best medal score for the U.S. since 2001.
News releases on the team since its return have been sent to hometown papers of the winners and to the trade press. WorldTeam has garnered 73 news stories including Motor Age, Contracting Business, Collision Week and many others. Trade news releases were mailed on September 19th and were being picked up and published online within minutes. The overall team news release went out last week to the education media and to the team hometown papers.
Silver Medals
–Jack Frederick from Wichita, Kansas and a student at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, Automobile Technology
–Joe Young from Heartland, Michigan and a student at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Welding
Medallions for Excellence
–Amela Mujkic from Clinton Township, Michigan and a student at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, Printing
–Ben Janke from Madison, Wisconsin and a student at Madison Area Technical College, Car Painting
–Craig Growney from East Rutherford, N.J., and a student at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., Cooking
–Jennifer Miaczynski from Bourbonnais, Illinois, and a student at Kankakee Area Career Center in Bourbonnais, Hairdressing
Other members of WorldTeam who competed in the WorldSkills competition were
–Scott Raymond from East Hampton, Massachusetts and a student at Universal Technical Institute in Norwood, Massachusetts, Autobody Repair
–Kyle Wegman from Parkesburg, Pennsylvania and a student at Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Cabinetmaking
–Fernando DeLaGarza from Meridian, Idaho and a student at Dehryl A. Dennis PTEC-Boise in Meridian, CNC Milling
–Josef Schwarzer from Leonard, Michigan and a student at Romeo Engineering and Technology Center in Washington, Michigan, CNC Turning
–Hayden LeJeune from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a student at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Industrial Electronics
–Kinzie Doll from Kansas City, Missouri and a student at DeVry University in Kansas City, IT/PC Networking
–Adam Bierschbach from Albany, Minnesota and a student at Alexandria Technical College and Adam Wiechmann from Melrose, Minnesota and a student at Alexandria Technical College competed as a team in Mechatronics
.–Leroy Rogers from West Allis, Wisconsin and a UA apprentice, Plumbing
–Ryan Rutherford from Stickney, Illinois and a UA apprentice, Refrigeration
We’re tremendously proud of this year’s WorldTeam and thankful to our technical experts, official and technical delegates, and team leader, sponsors and supporters who made the team’s success possible.

I’m pleased to announce that Jack Frederick, our automobile technology contestant on the SkillsUSA WorldTeam and a former national officer, received the Albert Vidal Award during the WorldSkills Competition in Calgary. The Albert Vidal Award recognizes the top 20 scorers among all 900 contestants in all contests. This award is in addition to Jack’s silver medallion in the automobile technology competition and his gold medal for being the best of nation.

Just to recap: the 16-member SkillsUSA WorldTeam entered 15 contests and brought home two silver medallions and four medallions of excellence for scoring above 500 points in the 600-point contests. This is the best medal score for the U.S. since 2001.

News releases on the team since its return have been sent to hometown papers of the winners and to the trade press. WorldTeam has garnered 73 news stories including Motor Age, Contracting Business, Collision Week and many others. Trade news releases were mailed on September 19 and were being picked up and published online within minutes. The overall team news release went out last week to the education media and to the team hometown papers.

Silver Medals

  • Jack Frederick from Wichita, Kan., and a student at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan., Automobile Technology
  • Joe Young from Heartland, Mich., and a student at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Mich., Welding

Medallions for Excellence

  • Amela Mujkic from Clinton Township, Mich., and a student at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., Printing
  • Ben Janke from Madison, Wis., and a student at Madison Area Technical College, Car Painting
  • Craig Growney from East Rutherford, N.J., and a student at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., Cooking
  • Jennifer Miaczynski from Bourbonnais, Ill., and a student at Kankakee Area Career Center in Bourbonnais, Hairdressing

Other members of WorldTeam who competed in the WorldSkills competition were

  • Scott Raymond from East Hampton, Mass., and a student at Universal Technical Institute in Norwood, Mass., Autobody Repair
  • Kyle Wegman from Parkesburg, Pa., and a student at Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, Pa., Cabinetmaking
  • Fernando DeLaGarza from Meridian, Idaho and a student at Dehryl A. Dennis PTEC-Boise in Meridian, CNC Milling
  • Josef Schwarzer from Leonard, Mich., and a student at Romeo Engineering and Technology Center in Washington, Mich., CNC Turning
  • Hayden LeJeune from Baton Rouge, La., and a student at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Industrial Electronics
  • Kinzie Doll from Kansas City, Mo., and a student at DeVry University in Kansas City, IT/PC Networking
  • Adam Bierschbach from Albany, Minn., and a student at Alexandria Technical College and Adam Wiechmann from Melrose, Minn., and a student at Alexandria Technical College competed as a team in Mechatronics
  • Leroy Rogers from West Allis, Wis., and a UA apprentice, Plumbing
  • Ryan Rutherford from Stickney, Ill., and a UA apprentice, Refrigeration

We’re tremendously proud of this year’s WorldTeam and thankful to our technical experts, official and technical delegates, and team leader, sponsors and supporters who made the team’s success possible.

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Our Second National Conference This Year

October 1st, 2009

The Washington Leadership Training Institute is complete. It was our 42nd WLTI and in my opinion, it was one of our best. While the National Leadership and Skills Conference is our best-known event, the WLTI is as close to the original mission of SkillsUSA as the Championships. Right from the beginning, the Washington Leadership Training Institute was to be our way of giving students and teachers a voice on Capitol Hill. It was their way of talking to elected officials about the importance of career and technical education and the students who have chosen this course. These delegates have now joined a long line of red blazers who have made their feelings known on the Hill since 1966. State Farm Insurance Companies sponsored the 2009 Washington Leadership Training Institute.

Delegations from 24 states – including Puerto Rico – with 70 instructors and 16 state association directors attended WLTI. The keynote speaker was Deputy Assistant Secretary Ismael (Junior) Ortiz from the Veterans’ Employment and Training Services (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor. Our feature speaker on Monday was Deputy Assistant Secretary Glenn A. Cummings, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), U.S. Department of Education. We also had presentations from the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Association for Career and Technical Education, Capitol Advantage, the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education consortium. This is always an excellent opportunity to show the administration and other essential partners of SkillsUSA what CTE and we can do for America.

Delegations from 24 states – including Puerto Rico – with 70 instructors and 16 state association directors attended WLTI. The keynote speaker was Deputy Assistant Secretary Ismael (Junior) Ortiz from the Veterans’ Employment and Training Services (VETS), U.S. Department of Labor. Our feature speaker on Monday was Deputy Assistant Secretary Glenn A. Cummings, Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), U.S. Department of Education. We also had presentations from the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Association for Career and Technical Education, Capitol Advantage, the American Association of Community Colleges and the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education consortium. This is always an excellent opportunity to show the administration and other essential partners of SkillsUSA what CTE and we can do for America.

The highlight of their trip was to meet with their members of congress to discuss CTE’s role in economic development and rigorous education. We have an initial count of 89 congressional visits. The delegations also participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery and a remembrance at the 9-11 Memorial at the Pentagon.

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Highlights

October 1st, 2009
  • Three new Skill Connect Assessments are available for field-testing and 150 more sites have volunteered to field test. The online order page has just been revised and simplified, and a review of the figures tells us that since the release of the first assessments, over 1,700 technical assessments have been purchased in 81 different schools in 25 states and Puerto Rico.
  • I had a great meeting with Ed Roebuck, coordinator of CTE, District of Columbia Public Schools and several other DC officials. Participation in career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) has been written into the state plan. As a matter of fact, the way the plan is written, all students will participate in their respective CTSOs. District officials are committed to member development this year and lead advisor support. They’re interested in CareerSafe and the Skill Connect Assessments too.
  • The new catalog for the SkillsUSA Store is in the mail. This is a new day for the look of SkillsUSA and supporting the brand. I’m pleased to report that 30 state and territorial associations took advantage of the state medallion offer this year.
  • Bill Maddox, vice president, Service Management Group, N.E.W. Customer Service Cos., Inc. will be replacing Luke Kathol on the Youth Development Foundation committee. We certainly welcome Bill and wish Luke well. I’m sure we’ll be seeing both of them. N.E.W. last week delivered a check for $50,000 to support the SkillsUSA Job Board.
  • And, levels one and two of the PDP Online are ready to go according to staff.

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PDP Online Web Conference URL Correction

October 1st, 2009

SkillsUSA has scheduled a national Web Conference to demonstrate the all new PDP Online. Join us on October 14, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. (EST). Please invite your key advisors or others to participate. The URL published previously  has changed. Please use this one.

Please join us by Web conference:
Meeting URL: http://web.ganconference.com/?meeting=3D9849321
Telephone: 888-222-0475
Participant access code: 6837807
When: October 14, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. (EST)

Please join us by Web conference:
Meeting URL: http://web.ganconference.com/?meeting=9849321
Telephone: 888-222-0475
Participant access code: 6837807
When: October 14, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. (EST)

If you have questions or need more information, contact Marsha Daves at 703-737-0605 or mdaves@skillsusa.org or Heidi Ambrose at 703-737-0615 or hambrose@skillsusa.org.

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2009 SkillsUSA National Conference Souvenir DVD

October 1st, 2009

SkillsUSA is now taking orders for the 2009 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference Souvenir DVD. This feature-length DVD brings back all of the excitement, the fun and the memories of national conference, event by event. From the Opening Ceremony to TECHSPO, delegate sessions, the competition floor, the community service projects and the Awards Ceremony, conference week is captured forever. This makes a wonderful gift for national conference attendees, for your state officer team or for the volunteers who helped make your conference experience a success. This is also a nice gift for the school administrators, industry partners or parents who helped to fund a trip to nationals.

Seeing the conference DVD early in the year can also give students greater motivation to strive for excellence so they can be part of the 2010 SkillsUSA national conference. Show it during your fall conferences or membership visits. A bonus slide show with music is included, featuring a 30-minute montage of photos from all conference events. The DVD is $19.95, Stock No. 84. To order, call 800-321-8422 or go to this page.

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2009 ACTE Trade & Industrial Division Awards

October 1st, 2009
Trade and Industrial educators and administrators are invited to submit nominations for the ACTE National Trade and Industrial Education Division Awards. Qualified people may be nominated by individuals or groups. You may also nominate yourself. Please inform the person you are nominating. See http://www.skillsusa.org/educators/acte.shtml for more information. The deadline for nominations is October 15.
Trade and Industrial educators and administrators are invited to submit nominations for the ACTE National Trade and Industrial Education Division Awards. Qualified people may be nominated by individuals or groups. You may also nominate yourself. Please inform the person you are nominating. See www.skillsusa.org/educators/acte.shtml for more information. The deadline for nominations is October 15.

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NTHS Offers Trip to BMW in Germany

October 1st, 2009

The National Technical Honor Society is sponsoring an educational trip to Germany on July 5-12, 2010 for career and technical educators, students and others interested in learning more about international business and its impact on our global economy and future career opportunities in the high-tech, fast-changing transportation industry. The trip will take the group behind the scenes of BMW business operations, manufacturing and training. It also includes comprehensive sightseeing excursions led by expert local guides to Munich, Salzburg, to Dachau, Neuschwanstein Castle, and the Saltmines.

Sponsored by NTHS in conjunction with Education First College Study Tours, the cost is $2,399 for travelers under age 23 and $2,704 for travels older than age 23, and includes transportation from Charlotte, North Carolina as well as some meals, tour guides, entrance fees, etc. Payment plans are available. For details, go to www.nths.org and click on Announcements.

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