Executive Update: March 1, 2023

Important Dates
March 1: National Membership Deadline
May 4: National Signing Day
May 8: SkillsUSA’s 58th Anniversary

New Director and Associate Director for the SkillsUSA Championships

We’re excited to announce that Brandon Hudson of Tennessee will be joining SkillsUSA on March 13 as the new director for the Office of the SkillsUSA Championships. Dennis Peaton has been promoted to associate director for the Office of the SkillsUSA Championships. Please join us in welcoming Brandon to this new role and congratulating Dennis on this well-deserved promotion. With their leadership and the strong work of their team, we look forward to a SkillsUSA Championships program that will scale new heights in growth and support.

State Conference Video Assets Now Available

Video assets for use at your state conferences are now available at this link. Once there, click on the “SLSC Video Assets” folder to access the videos, which include a greeting from Chelle Travis, messages from our national officer team, a general show open, a new “Call to Conference” video for the 2023 NLSC and more. Versions of these videos are available with and without captions. You can also access the link through the SLSC Support page on the State Association Gateway site. Just click on the “General Sessions” button to access.

Latest SkillsUSA Champions Feature: Jordan Packer

Our latest article on the SkillsUSA Champions digital hub features Jordan Packer, our recent WorldSkills USA bronze medalist in Welding. Jordan was the first welding medalist for the United States at the WorldSkills Competition in a decade, and his point totals put him just 1% away from the gold. In the article, he shares some great philosophies learned in SkillsUSA that helped him achieve this milestone in his career.

Generate Great PR for Your State Conference

Your State Leadership & Skills Conference (SLSC) generates positive attention for your SkillsUSA association, individual students and schools, and for SkillsUSA as a whole. Public relations efforts can also yield additional financial or in-kind support from industry partners and program support from the school system. To help gain that positive PR, SkillsUSA encourages state directors to:

• Form a state public relations committee prior to your SLSC.
• Distribute a press release prior to SLSC with dates and event highlights.
• Email a press release to participating schools and local and state media outlets.
• Send a Media Alert to local and state media outlets a few days prior to your SLSC.
• Distribute a press release after SLSC to highlight medalists and honorees. Along with the media, share it with participating schools, industry supporters and public officials.
• Include your delegates, new state officers and Chapters of Excellence schools in your promotions and press releases.

A complete SLSC Media Kit with more detailed information is posted on the State Association Gateway. For sample press release templates to personalize, go here.

2022-23 Advisor of the Year Deadline is Approaching

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 use the SkillsUSA Register site to collect and judge state-level AOY applications and the other for states that select their AOY using their own process and then submit a winner to the national AOY program. The deadline for state directors to submit recipients is April 1. For questions, contact Marcia Strickland.

NLSC 2023 Courtesy Corps Members

SkillsUSA needs 120 or more National Courtesy Corps (NCC) members to support the 2023 National Leadership & Skills Conference. This much-appreciated group supports the technical committees and the overall conference experience, and it’s a great way for students to network with industry partners and SkillsUSA students from across the nation. NCC members receive free registration plus housing, local transportation, meals and entertainment. NCC participants are housed at the Georgia Tech Woodruff North Residence Hall in Atlanta. For eligibility requirements, visit the National Courtesy Corps web page. For questions, contact Tracy Whitehead. The deadline for nominations is May 16. State directors will receive a list of applicants from their state to approve on May 18.

Press Release Template for State Conference Participants

New on the SkillsUSA advocacy site is a press release template for state conference participants and others to share competition results with local media. Parents, instructors, students or anyone can send emails. Please spread the word about this important tool at your state conferences. For questions, email Jane Short.

U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidates Announced

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors some of our nation’s distinguished graduating high school seniors, including those who demonstrate accomplishment in career and technical education. Each year, up to 161 students are named as presidential scholars. The process begins with identifying candidates, who must then submit further information. Finalists will be announced later this spring. See the list of the 2023 candidates here.

Snap-on Wants to Spotlight and Reward Makers and Fixers 

SkillsUSA industry partner Snap-on is shining a spotlight on the Makers and Fixers who keep the world moving. They seek stories about skilled people who work with their hands in the essential industries that focus on transportation — in the air, in the automotive shops or on the roads and rails. Future, past or present Makers and Fixers are invited to share their personal stories or nominate someone they admire. To share your story, visit the Share Your Story page, write about yourself and upload a few photos of you working on a project. Follow @MakersandFixers to see if your story is shared. All eligible stories are entered into a drawing, and two stories are picked each month to win a prize valued up to $600. Entries in the giveaway gets carried over each month if they don’t win. Visit the official rules for more information.

Annual Corporation Forms Due March 15

It’s time for state SkillsUSA directors to complete the annual corporation form. This information is key to communicating with our corporation members throughout the year and preparing for the Annual Meeting of SkillsUSA Inc. in June. The deadline for submission to the Office of the Executive Director is March 15. Complete and submit the 2023 form here.

State Awards Reminder for Advisor of the Year

SkillsUSA supplies state-level Advisor of the Year (AOY) awards at no charge to present at your state conferences. Each state may order an award for a secondary AOY and one for a college/postsecondary AOY. To order your award, email Kim DeVenuto at the SkillsUSA Store. Awards are custom-produced and shipped from the manufacturer, so order early and allow three weeks for delivery. Be sure to include this information in your email: “SkillsUSA State Advisor of the Year Award” as the subject, the correct spelling of the name of the advisor to be honored, your state association, your shipping address (no P.O. boxes), and the date you need your award delivered. For questions, contact Laura Rauch.

Due Dates

March
March 1: National Education Team applications due
March 1: National Courtesy Corps applications due
March 1: SkillsUSA national membership deadline
March 3: SkillsUSA National Pin and T-shirt Design Challenge entries due
March 13: National Signing Day Registration Opens
March 15: Annual Corporation Forms 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 3: NLSC Registration open
April 21: National Signing Day registrations due

May
May 1: Courtesy Corps Applications due
May 16: NLSC and Pre-NLSC (Activate, Leverage and Engage) registrations due
May 16: NLSC hotel reservations due
May 19: Confirm NLSC state hotel reservation block, if applicable
May 22: NLSC Travel Scholarship applications due

June
June 1: National Officer applications due
June 1: NLSC Request for Special Accommodations forms due

July
July 26: Student Research Foundation Scholarship applications due