- Air Products’ John McGlade, CEO Champion of the Year, will be a featured speaker at the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education consortium (NASDCTEc) spring meeting in Washington, D.C. SkillsUSA is delighted John will take the time to talk to the state leaders of CTE about their new vision for CTE, the value of CTE and maybe just a little about the value of SkillsUSA. Thanks to Laurie Gostley-Hackett, Youth Development Foundation Committee member from Air Products, for her coordination of John’s participation.
- In answer to proposed cuts to Perkins funding this year, and in support of both NASDCTEc and the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) urgent requests to contact Congress, SkillsUSA sent out more than 16,000 e-mails asking our professional members and technical committee members to call Congress. We’re getting reports back from the field. One said: “Our congressman said his office has been flooded with faxes and e-mails so he’s shut them down. Calling is the only thing that works.” It appears this will be a busy year for advocacy given the pressure of the federal budget.
- In an effort to encourage more U.S. participation in the WorldSkills Competitions this October, we have been working with the London organizing committee to offer special hotel/conference packages to our members. These packages would be available for five-night stays either at the beginning or end of the conference (from October 5-8) and would include breakfasts, admission to the competitions and to the opening or closing ceremonies, transportation to and from the airport and an excursion. The costs are approximately $500 (U.S. dollars) per person based on SkillsUSA registering at least 50 people. The organizing committee has put together various other hotel packages, and their travel agency will work directly with individuals who prefer to plan their own trips. Contact them by e-mail at worldskillslondon@travelplaces.co.uk. All information regarding the competitors, the 2011 WSC schedule and the housing packages can be viewed on our Web page at www.skillsusa.org/compete/worldteam.shtml. Please direct any questions to akranenberg@skillsusa.org.
- Here’s a list of additional reports. The executive directors of the Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) held a meeting with Brenda Dann-Messier, assistant secretary, U.S. Department of Education, on February 15 to discuss CTSO policy. We started the energy audit of the National Leadership Center on February 25 and hope to have a preliminary report ready by the next board meeting. The second half of the staff has now gone through (and passed) Red Cross CPR and First Aid training. Cindy Sutton, former YDF member and now executive VP of Earth Alive dropped by the office on February 7 with the two co-founders of Purple Heart Homes seeking advice for the start up of a nonprofit. And, finalists for the Lowe’s national conference pin and T-shirt designs have been selected. Lowe’s will be announcing the winners soon.
Highlights
March 1st, 2011WorldSkills London 2011
February 15th, 2011The dates for WorldSkills London are October 5-8, 2011 and will be conducted at the ExCeL London Exhibition and Conference center in London, England. The contest organizers are expecting almost 1,200 competitors from 52 countries competing in 41 official competitions and five demonstration contests.
SkillsUSA is moving forward with plans to enter 18 competitions and we will have a total of 18 competitors—the most ever for the U.S. We will enter four new contest areas in 2011. They are beauty therapy, graphic design, Web design and restaurant service.
The competitions will be open to the public at no cost. You may also purchase tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies at a cost of £20.
In an effort to encourage more U.S. participation in the WorldSkills Competitions, we have been working with the London organizing committee to offer special hotel/conference packages to our members. These packages would be available for five-night stays either at the beginning or ending of the conference and would include breakfasts, admission to the competitions and to the opening or closing ceremonies, transportation to and from the airport and an excursion. The costs are approximately $500 (U.S. dollars) per person based on SkillsUSA registering at least 50 people.
The organizing committee has put together various other hotel packages, and their travel agency will work direct with individuals who prefer to plan their own trip. Contact them by e-mail at worldskillslondon@travelplaces.co.uk.
All information regarding the competitors, the 2011 WSC schedule and the housing packages can be viewed on our Web page at www.skillsusa.org/compete/worldteam.shtml. Please direct any questions to akranenberg@skillsusa.org.
Provisional registration is due by March 15. Please act now to register for the WorldSkills Competition!
Fabtech “Weld-Off” Highlights SkillsUSA Quality
December 1st, 2010On November 3, I departed for Atlanta to attend the 2010 Fabtech conference. It was great to see our partners from the American Welding Society (AWS), Lincoln Electric, Miller Electric and many more. I was there to see our top welding students in the “Weld-Off” Semifinals that will help determine our SkillsUSA WorldTeam competitor for London 2011. As a former welding student and instructor myself, I can say I have never been more impressed than by the quality of the work I saw these six top students perform. Their technical skills were truly world-class, but so were their leadership and professional skills. I spent time with each of them, and they were all well-mannered, well-spoken, well-groomed and extremely polite. These are the times that demonstrate SkillsUSA’s mission of empowering our members to be world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. WorldSkills Australia participated in the event to “practice and benchmark” against our students. The AWS Weld-Off was administered by two SkillsUSA alumni, Nick Peterson (Miller Electric) and Brandon Muehlbrandt (Lincoln Electric), both of whom are successful corporate representatives and former international welding medalists.
I was honored to announce the three semi-finalists during the closing banquet. The three will train and compete between now and June, and the final competition to determine the SkillsUSA WorldTeam welding competitor will be held during NLSC in June. The semi-finalists are Alex Pazkowski and Bradley Klink from Michigan and Zachary Brown from Mississippi. During the closing banquet AWS President John Bruskotter (Louisiana) and President-Elect John Mendoza (Texas) presented all six students with $1,000 scholarships. Bruskotter attended the SkillsUSA NLSC last June and is a big fan (he’s also a SkillsUSA alumnus) and Mendoza is a great supporter of our Texas college/postsecondary program.
You can view my comments from Fabtech and the Weld-Off on YouTube below:
Here is a message from Nick Peterson:
WorldSkills London 2011
November 1st, 2010We have selected 16 WorldTeam members to date. SkillsUSA will field its largest team yet with as many as 24 competitors competing in 22 contest areas. WorldTeam members will compete for the first time in four new contest areas – beauty therapy, graphic design, restaurant service and Web design.
WorldSkills London will host the 41st WorldSkills Competitions in London, England, October 5-8, 2011. The competitions will be held at the ExCel London Exhibition and Conference Center. The contest organizers are expecting more than 1,000 competitors from 53 countries competing in 41 official competitions and 5 demonstration contests. For specific information regarding the program, schedules, housing, etc., visit: www.worldskillslondon2011.com.
To view WorldTeam photos and bios, visit: www.skillsusa.org/compete/worldteam.shtml.
SkillsUSA WorldTeam Update
May 1st, 2010SkillsUSA is moving forward with plans to enter as many as 20 competitors in the 2011 WorldSkills Competition (WSC), contingent upon financial support. To date, five competitors have been selected to compete in Autobody Repair, Automobile Technology, Cabinetmaking, Car Painting and Cooking. To have adequate time for training and preparation of the team members, competitors will be selected from the 2009 SkillsUSA Championships. This will begin the new process of selecting the WorldTeam members more than one year in advance. Competitors for the 2013 WSC competitions in Germany will be selected from the 2010 and 2011 national competitions. For information on SkillsUSA’s participation in the WSC, please visit www. skillsusa.org/compete/worldteam.shtml. Photos and information regarding the competitors and sponsors to date will be posted soon.
The next WorldSkills Competitions will be held October 5-8, 2011 and will be conducted at the ExCeL London Exhibition and Conference center in England. The event will see almost 1,200 competitors from 52 countries compete in skills ranging from Landscape Gardening, IT Cabling, Wall and Floor Tiling to Restaurant Service, Mechanical Engineering Design and Floristry. Planning is underway and specific information regarding the program, schedules, housing, etc., will be posted on the WorldSkills London 2011 Web site, www.worldskillslondon2011.com as it becomes available.
SkillsUSA has contracted with Jon C. Gonzalez to serve as WorldTeam National Fundraiser. Jon is president and CEO of DC Charity Events and a former Wall Street investment advisor. Jon has extensive fund raising and special event experience as well as fund-raising course work from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He will be working closely with Eric Gearhart and Ada Kranenberg to coordinate fund-raising efforts supporting SkillsUSA’s WorldTeam 2011.
Jon’s work should not be confused with the CEO Champion of the Year fund-raising dinner to be conducted in New York City in October. That effort seeks to raise unrestricted dollars for SkillsUSA’s mission.
Don Hatton will continue to serve as the Technical Delegate to WorldSkills International for the United States and Ada Kranenberg has returned as our Official Delegate to WorldSkills International. Mark Claypool will repeat his volunteer role as Team Leader.
SkillsUSA Competes in WorldSkills Americas
March 15th, 2010The first ever WorldSkills Americas competition is being conducted in Rio de Janeiro, March 10-13 in conjunction with the Brazil national competitions. The National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI) in Brazil is hosting.
The Participants from 12 countries have entered competitions in 20+ trade areas. Twenty-eight countries have sent trade experts and Technical and Official delegates to observe and assist with the management of the competitions.
The SkillsUSA WorldTeam consists of five technical experts supporting the two students competing in Automotive Service Technology and Cabinetmaking. Daniel Lehmkuhl, Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, Calif. is competing in Automotive Technology. Chase Trayal, Meridian Community College, Meridian, Miss. is competing in Cabinetmaking. Both are medalists from the 2009 SkillsUSA Championships. SkillsUSA’s Official Delegate and Technical Delegate to WorldSkills International are also attending, as is the WorldTeam’s Team Leader.
The technical experts are as follows:
- Kelly Caudle, Stanly Community College; – IT/PC Networking
- Ray Connolly, DRS Technologies – Welding
- Pat Klarecki, Ferris State University – Graphic Design and Printing
- Scott Norman, Pittsburg State University – Automotive Technology
- Rob Tobias, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology – Cabinetmaking
We believe we can improve our performance at the next WorldSkills competition in London in October 2011 due to our students and technical experts participating in WorldSkills Americas. The competition mirrors the WorldSkills Competition and runs four days, the same schedule the students will face in London.
We have received notification that our two competitors both earned silver medals in their respective competitions. Congratulations Chase and Daniel!
Chase Trayal and Daniel Lehmkuhl show off their silver medals.
Recent Retirements from National Staff
February 15th, 2010Both Ada Kranenberg, program director for the SkillsUSA Championships, and Karen Perrino, director of our Office of Marketing and Membership Services retired during the week of Jan. 22. Both are long-tenured. Ada joined the staff in 1982, and Karen has been with us for nearly 18 years. Both have been vital to the success of SkillsUSA.
Karen has been a leader in many areas through the years in publications, marketing and membership. SkillsUSA reached record levels of membership during her time as director of Marketing and Membership Services, and she was instrumental to our entire brand initiative. “I’m thankful Karen will continue to help us during this transition on marketing initiatives already underway and on the Lowe’s project where she has been such a leader for us. She is a consummate professional, and all of us wish her well with her move to Florida.
Ada began work with SkillsUSA back when it was VICA and worked with me when I managed the Championships from 1996 to 2001. She has been instrumental in guiding the Championships’ phenomenal growth from 36 contests to today’s 96, and she’s worked tirelessly with all of the technical committees and sponsors who make the Championships possible. Ada has also been our point person for the WorldSkills Competition for the past two decades. I’m happy to say that Ada will continue as a consultant and manager for the SkillsUSA WorldTeam through the WorldSkills Competition to be held in London in 2011. She will also lead our delegation to the AmericaSkills events in Brazil next month. SkillsUSA will be sending two students; six technical experts; Mark Claypool (our team leader), and Don Hatton, the U.S. technical delegate. This is all in preparation for the WorldSkills event in London, England in 2011.
More Honors from the WorldSkills Competition
October 1st, 2009I’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.
Highlights
September 15th, 2009* We had a great Youth Development Foundation meeting in Calgary with some excellent discussion on the value of partnership with SkillsUSA and corporate reports on their activities. Board members including President Julie Yeater, Larry Rabalais, Russ Hoffbauer and Nick Morrisroe joined the YDF meeting. The board and YDF dinner was sponsored by Woodwork Career Alliance.
* Thanks to Russ Hoffbauer and Alan Hall, on August 27 we held what I hope was a very successful meeting with executives from State Farm Insurance Companies. New national officers Zia Green and Stephen Lupton gave what I consider one of the most powerful presentations I’ve ever seen by two of our students. Much of our focus was on community service, and Zia arrived with a portfolio of the work done in her instructor’s class – Advisor of the Year 2008 Cheryl Reese – and everyone was impressed. State Farm expressed interest in community development, continuing its support for teacher training and field staff, alumni and the WorldSkills Competition.
* The new SkillsUSA Store received its official launch with an e-mail promotion to just about everyone in SkillsUSA. The site is http://www.skillsusastore.org/skillsusa/welcome.asp.
* And, thanks to several people with cameras at the WorldSkills Competition and Webmaster Craig Moore, it is possible to see some of the excitement of SkillsUSA WorldTeam http://www.skillsusa.org/compete/worldteam.shtml. There’s also a special section on news coverage up to this point.
- We had a great Youth Development Foundation meeting in Calgary with some excellent discussion on the value of partnership with SkillsUSA and corporate reports on their activities. Board members including President Julie Yeater, Larry Rabalais, Russ Hoffbauer and Nick Morrisroe joined the YDF meeting. The board and YDF dinner was sponsored by Woodwork Career Alliance.
- Thanks to Russ Hoffbauer and Alan Hall, on August 27 we held what I hope was a very successful meeting with executives from State Farm Insurance Companies. New national officers Zia Green and Stephen Lupton gave what I consider one of the most powerful presentations I’ve ever seen by two of our students. Much of our focus was on community service, and Zia arrived with a portfolio of the work done in her instructor’s class – Advisor of the Year 2008 Cheryl Reese – and everyone was impressed. State Farm expressed interest in community development, continuing its support for teacher training and field staff, alumni and the WorldSkills Competition.
- The new SkillsUSA Store received its official launch with an e-mail promotion to just about everyone in SkillsUSA. The site is www.skillsusastore.org/skillsusa/welcome.asp.
- And, thanks to several people with cameras at the WorldSkills Competition and SkillsUSA’s Webmaster, it is possible to see some of the excitement of SkillsUSA’s WorldTeam in action: www.skillsusa.org/compete/worldteamphotos.shtml. There’s also a special section on news coverage up to this point.
Calgary Bound
September 1st, 2009We had a great day with the SkillsUSA WorldTeam on Friday, August 28 in our nation’s capital. And, on Saturday, they boarded a flight to Calgary from Ronald Reagan International airport in Washington, D.C.
We had a great day with the SkillsUSA WorldTeam on Friday, August 28 in our nation’s capital. And, on Saturday, they boarded a flight to Calgary from Ronald Reagan International airport in Washington, D.C.
The SkillsUSA WorldTeam students were in Washington, D.C. on Thursday evening to participate in a night tour of the monuments. Friday was a full day of recognition activities for the team. We traveled to the Departments of Education, Labor and the U.S. Senate. The students were recognized by the Under Secretary of Education at the U.S. Department of Education, the Director of the Workforce Investment System at the U.S. Department of Labor and by Senator Mike Enzi’s office at the U.S. Capitol. The students also had an appointment at the Canadian Embassy where they received an orientation to the geography and culture of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In every location, the students demonstrated a high level of professionalism and skill.
It was a great day, and the students were able to articulate their commitment to world-class skills training and their passion for education to all the government leaders they encountered. I was really impressed with how much they were able to influence the attitudes of the officials in D.C. In fact, at both the labor and education agencies, this was the first exposure the new Obama appointees had with career and technical education students. I think they learned a lot from the students.
The SkillsUSA WorldTeam is excited and ready to represent the U.S.A. in the WorldSkills Competition against 50 other countries. I know they will represent SkillsUSA very well. Check out the pictures from our day in D.C.
The WorldTeam with the Undersecretary of Education
