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.