Executive Update: February 1, 2023
Important Dates
February: Career and Technical Education Month
Feb. 2: Virtual SkillsUSA Technical Committee Chair Meeting
Feb. 6-10: SkillsUSA Week
March 1: National Membership Deadline
May 4: National Signing Day
May 8: SkillsUSA’s 58th Anniversary
Virtual Conference Management Training Resources Available
On Jan. 17-20, SkillsUSA staff held a series of four virtual Conference Management System (CMS) training sessions for state directors and their state conference management teams to assist them in managing registration and scoring for upcoming State Leadership and Skills Conferences. Each day included a three-hour training plus an hour for questions and support. Topics included “Configuring the Conference Registration Website,” “Basics of Using SkillsUSA CMS,” “Scoring Award Presentation and Results with CMS,” and Advanced Topics and New Features. There were 68 people from 32 states attending, and if you missed this training, the recorded sessions are available on the State Director Gateway and on the membership registration site.
Finalize Your SkillsUSA Week Plans
SkillsUSA Week is Feb. 6-10, and we have lots of support for SkillsUSA members who want to participate by honoring community supporters, connecting with local business and industry professionals, or making a presentation about their CTE program and SkillsUSA chapter at a school board meeting. We encourage members to plan activities that follow the daily schedule of events using the SkillsUSA Week Chapter Guide. If you would like to outfit officers or members, a special SkillsUSA Week T-shirt is available in the SkillsUSA Store. Shipping is free and fast. The SkillsUSA Advocacy Site has a template officers can use to promote their activities to their local media during SkillsUSA Week and Career and Technical Education Month.
Last Call for Honorary Life, Outstanding Educator and Hall of Champions Nominations
If you would like to nominate an individual for recognition as a 2023 SkillsUSA Honorary Life Member, Outstanding Career and Technical Educator or for the Hall of Champions Award, please complete the online applications. The deadline is Feb. 15 and awards will be presented at NLSC. If you have questions, contact Laura Rauch.
Remind Advisors to Register Members by March 1
State directors, please remind all advisors in your state that the SkillsUSA national membership deadline is March 1. Students must join by this date to be eligible for national competition, serve as voting delegates or run for national office. Professional membership provides valuable benefits, too. When advisors join, they receive access to a wealth of resources and professional development opportunities. The list of state dues and deadlines is available here and the Membership Quick Start Guide provides step-by-step instructions for joining members.
New Chapter Recognition
Make plans to formally recognize new chapters in your state at your State Leadership & Skills Conference by visiting “New Chapter Support,” located on the SkillsUSA State Association Gateway under “Programs/Events.” On the site, you’ll find ideas for recognition, a congratulatory email/letter template and directions on downloading, printing or emailing Chapter Charter Certificates directly from the website.
Interested in Mentoring a New State SkillsUSA Director?
Experienced state SkillsUSA directors are invited to share their knowledge and experience by mentoring a new state director. To participate, potential mentors complete a short application. They will then be sent a mentor guide and will be notified when there is a new state director identified as a match. This is a wonderful way to build relationships, help others and support the consistency and quality of our associations. For questions, contact Gayle Silvey.
National Officers Ready to Serve
SkillsUSA’s national officers are ready to serve at your upcoming state conference by speaking at events, introducing partners or other stakeholders, giving tours or facilitating workshops. Complete a request form today to get assistance for your state conference while providing an incredible opportunity for a student leader.
2022-23 Advisor of the Year Resources Available
This year’s Advisor of the Year (AOY) information and resources for state SkillsUSA directors are located on the State Association Gateway. There are two separate guides: one for state associations that will use the SkillsUSA Register site to collect and judge state-level AOY applications and the other for state associations that will select their AOY recipient using their own process and then submit their winner into the national AOY program. The deadline for state directors to submit their recipients is April 1. For questions, contact Laura Rauch.
New Letterhead Templates on the Brand Assets Page
New SkillsUSA letterhead templates are now available on our Brand Assets page. Just go to the “Letterhead” section on the page, and you’ll find three separate Word files: one with the SkillsUSA main logo, one specifically for state association use and one for SkillsUSA chapter use. In the latter two examples, users would need to change the default logo to either their specific association logo or their chapter logo. Instructions for doing that are in the file description within the Brand Assets page. For questions, contact Scott Price.
State Advisor of the Year Awards
SkillsUSA supplies state-level Advisor of the Year (AOY) awards. Each state may order one award for a secondary AOY and one award for a college/postsecondary AOY to be awarded at your state conference. To order your AOY awards, email Kim DeVenuto at the SkillsUSA Store. Include the following information in your email:
- Subject: SkillsUSA State Advisor of the Year Award
- Correct spelling of the name of the advisor to be honored
- State association
- Shipping address (no P.O. boxes)
- The need-by date for delivery.
Each award is custom-produced and shipped from the manufacturer, so allow at least three weeks for delivery. If you have questions, please contact Laura Rauch.
Share Your Success Stories with SkillsUSA
The SkillsUSA Champions digital hub provides new content weekly, from inspiring features to “Spotlight” stories about the great work chapters and partners are doing. To get a special SkillsUSA member’s story considered for publication (even if that story is yours), send us the details through our “Submit a Story” link.
Due Dates
February
Feb. 15: Honorary Life, Outstanding Career and Technical Education and Hall of Champions submissions due
March
March 1: National Education Team applications due
March 1: National Courtesy Corps applications due
March 1: SkillsUSA national membership deadline
March 1: Annual corporation forms due
March 3: SkillsUSA National Pin and T-shirt Design Challenge entries due
April
April 1: President’s Volunteer Service Award applications due
April 1: State deadline to advance gold Chapter of Distinction applications for selection as Models of Excellence
April 1: SkillsUSA Master Scholarship applications due
April 1: Advisor of the Year state recipients due
April 15: National Signing Day registrations due
