- The final membership report for the 2012-13 school year is now complete (335,975 total) and is located at http://www.skillsusa.org/downloads/PDF/membershipreport13.pdf.
- On April 16-17, the SkillsUSA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) met at the National Leadership Center. The meeting was very well attended and was one of the most interactive on record. The meeting started with a review of the FY14 Strategic Plan. Chairman Dave Camden and our Business Partnerships and Development staff then led the Foundation through a series of exercises to help SkillsUSA with strategy to move our partnerships efforts forward. Dave Camden has now retired from Toyota, and this was his final YDF meeting. We are very pleased and excited that Laurie Hackett of Air Products will be assuming the position of YDF chair.
- Staff recently attended a meeting in New Orleans of the Workforce Development Committee of the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). The NCCER desires to work with SkillsUSA on a “Skills to Industry Recruitment Alliance” that will engage NCCER commercial and industrial construction contractors and NCCER’s Build Your Future (BYF) program in a database development and mentoring tactic to supply more construction tradecraft workers. The industrial and commercial construction industry has major concerns with the tradecraft worker supply, especially now that the energy sector is growing quickly. NCCER is a major supporter of the national Carpentry contest. Staff also stopped by the SkillsUSA Louisiana Awards Ceremony and briefly addressed the audience.
- Staff members recently participated in a conference call with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) about becoming involved in the Mechatronics contest and a possible demonstration contest in 2014 in Additive Manufacturing. SME has recently projected that for every baccalaureate engineer, our economy needs seven engineering technicians.
- On April 10, staff attended a meeting of the National Council of Career and Technology Student Organizations (NCC-CTSO). SkillsUSA will be helping NCC-CTSO create a common website that promotes CTSO missions and membership and provides shared elements of all nine CTSOs.
- Staff members attended the Missouri state conference, the Kentucky state conference, the Texas high school state conference, the South Carolina state conference and the New York state conference.
- Staff members also traveled to Louisville for NLSC 2015 planning and attended the Equipment and Engine Training Council (EETC) annual conference in Bloomington, Minn.
Highlights
May 1st, 2013SkillsUSA Competitor News Release Template
April 15th, 2013A sample template release is on the SkillsUSA advocacy site. It’s a template to be used by state association directors, instructors and others to get the word out to the media and Congress about the students who qualified to compete or won in the state SkillsUSA Championships. The news release can be sent to local news media through the advocacy site, five outlets at a time. It is also possible to send the release to your U.S. Senators and Representatives. The site can be reached by going to: www.skillsusa.org/about/policy.shtml and clicking on “advocacy site.” Please encourage your teachers to use this valuable tool to promote their students and instructional programs.
Highlights
January 15th, 2013- On December 17th, members of the Office of Business Partnership and Development and Education, Training and Assessments Office joined me for a visit with the CEO of ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence), and the executive directors of NATEF (National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation) and AYES (Automotive Youth Educational Systems) to talk about strengthening our mutual alliance and capitalizing on a shared vision of our business partners. We also discussed customizing the Professional Development Program (PDP) to make the curriculum auto industry specific. NATEF wants to include employability skills in its curriculum and believes this is a way to do it. We’ll be meeting again soon and will seek funding to design and publish the polished up PDP.
- Staff reported last week that we’ve secured a $50,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation for the purpose of informing youth about careers in manufacturing in two communities where Alcoa has facilities. We’ll be informing state associations of the locations once Alcoa has determined them.
- We now have state association support for four additional demonstration competitions during this year’s Championships: Community Action Project; Graphic Imaging Sublimation (graphic imaging); Humanoid Robotics (programming robots for dangerous tasks); and, Urban Search and Rescue (a RoboRescue Challenge). This will take us to six demonstration contests and a total of 98 contests overall.
National Conference Pin and T-shirt Contest Reminder
November 29th, 2012
February 1, 2013 is the deadline for entries to the SkillsUSA National Conference Pin and T-shirt competitions. This event is open to all paid student members of SkillsUSA. This is a great way to have a student and advisor from your state recognized in front of a national audience. A plaque for the teacher and student, plus a school grant to the advisor of the winning student will be announced at a later date. Rules are in the membership kit and are also posted on the SkillsUSA website at: www.skillsusa.org/compete/pindesign.shtml. Questions may be directed to Heidi Walsh at 703-737-0615 or to hwalsh@skillsusa.org.
National Conference Pin and T-shirt Competition Reminder
November 1st, 2012February 1, 2013 is the deadline for entries to the SkillsUSA National Conference Pin and T-shirt competitions. This event is open to all paid student members of SkillsUSA. This is a great way to have a student and advisor from your state recognized in front of a national audience. A plaque for the teacher and student, plus a school grant to the advisor of the winning student will be announced at a later date. Rules are in the membership kit and are also posted on the SkillsUSA website at: www.skillsusa.org/compete/pindesign.shtml. Questions may be directed to Heidi Walsh at 703-737-0615 or to hwalsh@skillsusa.org.
2013-14 Technical Standards
October 15th, 2012The Technical Standards are valid for two years. These Standards are the result of many hours of work from a collaboration of industry partners, subject matter experts and SkillsUSA staff who worked diligently to create a user-friendly product. The Standards provide our chapters and students with an up-to-date official competition guide for both the 2013 and 2014 SkillsUSA Championships. We post changes to any of the contests on our website on the “Contest Updates” page. If a posting appears on the updates page, it supersedes the Technical Standards as written. The 2013-2014 Technical Standards will be without the score sheets as they change year to year. These are available at no charge by going to: www.skillsusa.org/compete/scorecards.shtml.
The CD-ROM package, including the Standards, an information piece, a poster and the 2012 contest projects, can be purchased for $19.95 through the SkillsUSA online catalog at: www.skillsusa.org/store/contests.html. Contest singles cost $10.95 each and include the 2012 contest project (if available) as well as helpful hints from some of our technical committee members.
The Standards are available as a 480 page perfect-bound book version for $35.95, plus shipping and handling. To purchase this printed version through the online catalog, look beneath the listing for the CD-ROM package and link for purchasing on Lulu. This button will take you to LuLu.com to place your order. To further our efforts to produce more eco-friendly materials, we’ve chosen LuLu to deliver this on-demand printed version. Delivery time is approximately three to five days, depending on the selected delivery option. Please be advised the book version of the technical standards does not contain the 2012 SkillsUSA Championships contest projects.
SkillsUSA Theme
August 1st, 2012The SkillsUSA competition theme for the 2012-13 year is:
SkillsUSA: Champions at Work
Prepared with the Skills America Needs
The topic to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board contests is how our slogan, SkillsUSA: Champions at Work, relates to our national program of work in the area of professional development.
Within this topic, contestants might illustrate or discuss any of the following:
- Based on research from employers, what skills do Americans need?
- How does SkillsUSA provide the skills needed?
- How does participation in SkillsUSA provide members an edge in the workforce?
- How does involvement in SkillsUSA provide a competitive edge to America in the global economy?
- By participating in SkillsUSA events, how will you be more marketable in the workforce?
- What do SkillsUSA members need to do to be prepared?
- What skills have you gained through SkillsUSA that will make you prepared to enter your chosen field?
- How does SkillsUSA continue to adapt to prepare students with these needed skills?
- What principles was America founded on and how are those still relevant today?
- Why do American citizens need to have a variety of skills?
- How do we establish an attitude of life-long learning through the SkillsUSA programs?
GAERF 2012 Student Design Competition
March 13th, 2012The Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) has announced the launch of the GAERF 2012 Student Design Competition, themed “Why Hire Me?” This annual contest, in its fourth year, challenges participants to demonstrate their creativity and skill by creating a marketing campaign that positions themselves as ideal candidates for a career they select in the graphic communications industry.
First-place winners and their instructors will receive a two-day, all-inclusive paid trip to attend GRAPH EXPO in Chicago, Ill. The winning students will receive an award of $2,000 presented during GRAPH EXPO 2012’s Career Awareness Day, October 10, 2012. Second-place winners will be awarded $1,500, and the third-place winners will receive $1,000.
For complete information about the GAERF 2012 Student Design Competition, visit www.graphicCOMMcentral.org. The entry deadline is June 15.
National Education Startup Challenge
February 21st, 2012The U.S. Department of Education is launching the National Education Startup Challenge. They are inviting students to develop an innovative solution to an education problem and design a blueprint for a new company or organization – a startup – to deliver that solution.
Students from across the country are invited to submit a business plan and a video pitch for a for-profit or non-profit startup that includes an innovative strategy, product or service designed to address one of these four topics:
- Middle Grades Matter
Helping middle school students transition to high school and stay on track to graduate. - Skills, Skills, Skills
Providing students in rural, urban, and/or high-poverty communities with opportunities for internships or other work- and community-based learning experiences that help them develop skills for success in postsecondary education, 21st century careers, and civic life. - Education Pays
Making it easier for students and families to find and select high-quality, affordable postsecondary programs – whether colleges, universities, or career training programs – that provide good value. - Finishing Faster
Increasing the likelihood that postsecondary students complete their degrees, and decreasing the time it takes them to finish, such as by improving and speeding up remedial education.
Submissions will be judged by a panel of prominent educators and entrepreneurs who will identify the top startup submissions in three categories:
- 6th – 8th grade students
- 9th – 12th grade students
- Undergraduate/ postsecondary students
Complete guidelines and entry information can be found here: http://nesc.challenge.gov.
Kavli Save the World Through Science and Engineering Video Contest
February 1st, 2012The Kavli Save the World Through Science and Engineering Video Contest is open to students in Grades 6-12. The deadline is March 1, 2012. Students make a short video (:30-:90) that shows how scientific discoveries and inventions can improve our lives and change our world, either right now or in the future. Then they enter it on Schooltube.com and compete for cash prizes!
First prize is $2000 and a travel stipend to Washington, D.C. to the USA Science and Engineering Festival: April 28-29, Second prize is $750, Third prize is $500, and People’s Choice is $250. Winners will be honored in a special awards ceremony hosted by Bill Nye the Science Guy.
For more information, visit: www.schooltube.com/contests/2012-kavli-save-world-through-science-engineering/
