- On Friday, August 13, during the state association directors’ conference, Laurie Gostley-Hackett, manager of philanthropy and community relations at Air Products, presented a check for $100,000 on behalf of Air Products to SkillsUSA. I updated the group on our plans to honor John McGlade, chairman, president, and CEO of Air Products during the inaugural CEO Champion of the Year Award dinner. Air Products will be the dinner host at the Waldorf-Astoria on October 18. I also told them we have plans to stream the event live on the Internet so every state association can be involved. Laurie’s passion for SkillsUSA was obvious. I’m pleased to say that both Toyota and Snap-on have also pledged support for the dinner. A list of high-level dinner attendees will be compiled to help generate excitement and we hope we will encourage CEOs and executives of other current SkillsUSA partners to attend. Formal invitations will be sent via e-mail by September. Questions and requests for more information can be directed to Chris Powell at cpowell@skillsusa.org or 703-737-0621.
- We’ve finished faxing the lists of Championships medalists to Congress and to the governors. We’ve received a lot of requests for home addresses already and expect more will be coming. And, we’re well underway for the Washington Leadership Training Institute this month.
- Staff had a great chapter management workshop in Annapolis with a group of advisors new to SkillsUSA in Maryland. State Association Director Chuck Wallace set everything up.
- I recently returned from Bristol, Tenn., where I attended the IRWIN Bristol Night Race with Board Member Nick Morrisroe and I had a great time.
- And, last week I attended the Youth Development Foundation meeting hosted by Delmar, Cengage Learning in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Highlights
September 1st, 2010Cooking Up Culinary Connections in California
August 15th, 2010The week of August 6, I participated in the American Culinary Federation (ACF) National Convention in Anaheim. I was a VIP guest of ACF President Chef Michael Ty who has attended the SkillsUSA NLSC for the past two years. He is very interested in engaging with SkillsUSA as a part of ACF’s youth initiatives.
The ACF Convention offered an excellent networking opportunity. I spent time with several SkillsUSA culinary instructors who are also professional members of ACF. I met several ACF partnering companies that could be SkillsUSA supporters and spent quality time with international culinary representatives from Canada, Iceland and Germany, and I had an excellent exchange with the leader of the World Association of Chefs.
A highlight was the time I spent with Dr. Janey Thornton, deputy under secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services discussing USDA’s interest in our culinary programs and a national campaign on childhood nutrition. At the President’s Ball on Thursday night, I also met with ACF’s executive director to compare notes on nonprofit association management. We will be working together and sharing best practices. Finally, as a bonus, Greg Rintala, YDF Chair and board member from Snap-on, Inc. took me to lunch on Thursday, and we had a good conversation about our partnership and the upcoming board and YDF meetings.
Promotion of Student Organizations and Students
June 15th, 2010On May 19, I met with the National Coordinating Council of the Career and Technical Student Organizations for our bimonthly meeting at the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE). Margaret Romer, deputy director at OVAE, hosted the meeting. She said the Office wants to do much more to use CTSO students in visibility for career and technical education within the department, with policymakers and with the public. Among her specific proposals are more meetings at the Department of Education when CTSO students are in Washington, more appearances by the Department of Education before CTSO audiences and conducting a joint Webinar with the student presidents and officials in Washington under the auspices of OVAE as we’ve done in the past.
On the policy front, Romer told us that Jim Stone, director of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education will be joining our July meeting to discuss a new research project on CTSOs supported by OVAE. She also confirmed that Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier is committed to having career and technical education included in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) known as “No Child Left Behind” in the previous administration. Romer also told me she is looking forward to reviewing the SkillsUSA Employability Skills Assessment. People in the field have been telling her to take a look.
CTE Leadership Bullish on the Future
April 15th, 2010The spring meeting of the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium was in Washington, D.C. from March 28-31. This year’s theme was “Career Technical Education: A Defining Moment for Excellence and Innovation,” and staff reported that in part due to tough economic times, the CTE community sees this as a defining moment for CTE in education reform and work force preparation. More than one speaker said: “This is the best chance CTE has had in a long time to put itself forward because the benefits of CTE are so clear.”
Overriding themes of the conference were career pathways, articulation from secondary to postsecondary programs, national core education standards, employability skills and assessments, assessments, assessments. There was also a great deal of discussion around NASDCTEc’s new vision for CTE entitled “Reflect, Transform, Lead.” It lays out five inter-related principles on the role and future of CTE. One of them specifically references career and technical student organizations.
Staff also reported seeing many of SkillsUSA’s friends including Board Member Wayne Kutzer. The consortium board announced during it’s business meeting on Wednesday that another old friend, Milt Ericksen, Arizona’s Deputy Associate Superintendent of Career Technical Education, will become the new ex officio SkillsUSA board member from NASDCTEc next August.
Unlike the recent past, the Office of Vocational and Adult Education was much in evidence throughout the conference including Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier, Deputy Assistant Secretary Glenn Cummings and several staff members. The conference was a joint initiative between NASDCTEc and OVAE and in her closing remarks, Brenda Dann-Messier said: “This is a permanent partnership. As a community we need to be assertive and insert ourselves [into education reform] because what we have to offer is so important. The work of CTE is central to the work of all of the administration departments.” She assured the directors that she is and will be persistent in getting CTE written into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Student Organizations Meet in Washington, D.C.
March 15th, 2010On February 24, the National Coordinating Council of the Career and Technical Student Organizations met at the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) at the U.S. Department of Education. There was a great deal to discuss. OVAE staff has requested key dates for conferences and events from all the CTSOs. They plan to get staff out to the major events like conference and WLTI. FFA national officers have met with Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan, and OVAE would like to see more students coming to the Department of Education to engage staff and offer their opinions and CTE success stories.
OVAE is also developing a CTE marketing strategy, and they want student input. They plan to invite SkillsUSA and the other CTSO student leaders to serve on a focus group for the initiative.
We had a good discussion on alumni initiatives by the various organizations. Going forward, we will be holding NCC-CTSO “themed meetings.” Alumni will be the focus of the first one. A second theme is communications strategies. It’s great to see the cooperation among the CTSO executives and the plans to share best practices.
We had a visit by Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier. She discussed the importance of CTSOs in CTE and the fact that our students are the face of career and technical education. She said she has plans to begin reauthorization of Perkins immediately, even though it’s authorized through 2012 already. And, she also believes that, for the first time, we have the opportunity to have CTE named specifically in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Highlights
January 15th, 2010- Tom Hall, director of the publications department at SkillsUSA reported that on January 7 two SkillsUSA projects recently won awards. Our most recent annual report won an award in the annual Printing Industries of Virginia competition. With many other associations based in Virginia or having their annual reports printed here, this is quite an accomplishment for us. Congratulations go to Tom Kercheval, the B&I staff and everyone else who had a hand in our annual report. Also, in the Association TRENDS 2009 All-Media Contest, SkillsUSA’s 2009-10 Membership Kit won a gold award in the Membership Promotion Kit category. The 2009 competition included more than 425 entries in 26 categories of association communications. As the best in its category, our kit will be displayed in a “Winners’ Gallery” in D.C. next month, as well as on the TRENDS Web site. Congratulations go to Karen Perrino and all staff who worked on this project.
- As reported before, Dave Worden joined the staff last Monday as the program director of the national SkillsUSA Championships. Dave brings years of experience with SkillsUSA – dating all the way back to 1978 – and tremendous experience in industry and as chairman of the Power Equipment Technology contest. We look forward to having his expertise and sense of humor on the national staff.
- Staff traveled with a representative from the U.S. Department of Labor last week for a tour of CAT North outside Baltimore, Maryland. CAT is one of our favorite model SkillsUSA programs. The tour was part of DOL’s consideration of a grant for SkillsUSA activities and chapters in YouthBuild programs nationwide. We had a good discussion with representatives from YouthBuild and DOL on Monday of this week.
- On Monday morning, January 11, we had meetings with the Engineering Alliance. Representatives from Project Lead the Way and the Technology Student Association (TSA) joined us. The official launch of the Engineering Alliance is today, January 15. The Web site address is www.engineeringalliance.org
- John Foster, president and chief executive officer of NOCTI stopped by for a visit on January 5 to discuss a number of things including work NOCTI is doing on pathways and NOCTI support for the national SkillsUSA Championships. It was great to visit with John to discuss future cooperative efforts.
- And, I visited last Friday with Board Member Emily DeRocco. We’ve wanted to get together to discuss the National Association of Manufacturers certification system and the possible fit of the Skill Connect assessments. We had a great discussion on this topic and the work of the Manufacturing Institute.
Nice Things in Nashville During ACTE
December 1st, 2009The annual Association of Career and Technical Education Convention in November was well attended – up approximately 20 percent over the year prior – to 5,300 educators and exhibitors. SkillsUSA was represented in many areas of the conference, and we were particularly proud to see former SkillsUSA board member, Ed Melott, onstage as the new president of ACTE.
Staff reports that our trade show exhibit was like old home week with lots of people stopping by our booth during the two days and some people checking out the Skill Connect Assessments and the new Online PDP. I also understand seminars held by SkillsUSA were well received, and we had good meetings with the Association for Skilled and Technical Sciences (ASTS) and the T&I Division of ACTE.
The second general session during the convention featured Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education, Brenda Dann-Messier and Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor, Jane Oates. Both spoke of the important role CTE plays in the growing economy and – as we already knew from previous conversations – the two are working together to find ways to expand education and training opportunities for both youth and adults. I also attended a special invitation session with the secretaries. During a short comment period, I asked both secretaries as they work on integration of academic instruction and CTE to remember the importance of integration of employability skills and the unique role of CTSOs in delivering those skills. I also reminded them of the importance of business and industry partnerships in CTE and the role of student organizations again. Jane Oates, who has known SkillsUSA for years, said to Brenda Dann-Messier: “You’d better be ready for a long line of red blazers at your door.”
And, I was invited to serve on an expert panel of four during a meeting with representatives of the Chicago Public Schools who are working on a retooling plan for CTE in Chicago. With me on the panel were Jim Stone, National Research Center for CTE, Bill Daggett from the International Center for Leadership in Education and Greg Betheil with the New York City Department of Education. Also attending the meeting was Special Assistant and Advisor to Secretary Duncan, Greg Darneider. (Remember, Secretary Duncan was the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, so there’s a direct interest.) It was a lively discussion.
SkillsUSA’s National Voice at the Table on CTE
November 15th, 2009When SkillsUSA was founded in 1965, one of the founders’ goals was to give students and teachers a national voice. In part, our founders’ wishes continue to be realized. As a member of the Independent Advisory Panel of Experts to the National Assessment of Career and Technical Education (NACTE), I’m proud to represent the viewpoints of CTE teachers and students as the research and reports are prepared for the U.S. Congress on the Perkins legislation. I met with the panel on October 26 and 27 to review the research and the draft of an interim report for Congress to be submitted early next year. The three top areas for research are the success of the programs of study as laid out in Perkins IV, accountability of instruction and fiscal responsibility. I’m serving on the subcommittee to prepare the full panel’s recommendations to accompany the report. Brenda Dann-Messier, the new assistant secretary for OVAE did stop by for a brief visit.
Highlights
November 1st, 2009- I’m delighted to report that Niki Clausen will be our new full-time alumni coordinator. Niki will start in her new position on November 2. She brings a wealth of background and experience as a former SkillsUSA national officer, a culinary teacher, a SkillsUSA chapter advisor, Oregon state association director and as a member of the national alumni coordinating council. Thanks go to both Lowe’s and Air Products for their support in making this happen.
- The October 6 ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education) “Cooking Up a Future” Congressional Reception on Capitol Hill was quite successful this year. According to ACTE, at least four members of Congress and staff from over 100 congressional offices attended during the two-hour event. SkillsUSA was one of four student organizations participating and the only one doing a demonstration. Thanks to Chef Christine Gloninger and Chef Frans Hagen, three students from Annandale High School were preparing and serving crepes to the guests. They ran the exhibit to visit and everyone did.
- We had a great conference call with Brian Spiro and Tim Humes of Carhartt to discuss their future support for SkillsUSA including Carhartt becoming a clothing supplier through E-Group.
- During our meeting on October 13, the Architectural Woodwork Institute committed to increasing its support for SkillsUSA and helping form new chapters in states where AWI has member companies.
- The Senate confirmed Brenda Dann-Messier on October 5 to be the new assistant secretary for vocational adult education in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE). The assistant secretary has a strong commitment to adult learning and helping students to transition into postsecondary education. We look forward to working with her.
WLTI students Impress(ed) on the Hill
October 15th, 2009We’re still reviewing delegation reports from the students’ visits to Capitol Hill. We’ve received more detailed reports than in the past, and we know that 16 states held meetings with at least 70 different Senate and House offices on September 22. The students are always told to find common ground when visiting their senators and representatives, and at least two visits by Texas delegations yielded some surprises:
“As we toured the Capitol, we met a gentleman who is a legislative aide for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson from the 18th District in Texas. He asked us if SkillsUSA was the organization formerly known as VICA. We said yes, and he told us he had been a member when he was in high school and that VICA had laid the foundation for his success as an adult.”
Another student wrote: “Congressman Solomon Ortiz (27th District) was attentive to what we had to say. He related to what we were talking about because he had been involved in VICA. He explained how VICA had helped him get a job when he needed it most.”
The students also made strong and positive impressions on Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor Ortiz and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education Glenn Cummings. Following his visit, Mr. Cummings wrote: “I cannot tell you how happy I was to speak to your excellent group of students. It was a thrill for me to have such an attentive and passionate crowd when it comes to CTE … I would very much like to learn more about your skills assessments and performance measurements – they sound terrific.”
We’re proud of the students and advisors who participated in WLTI for carrying forward the message of career and technical education and SkillsUSA.
