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Making a Path Less Swampy

After they learned a bridge on a local trail had become impassible, students at Central Vermont Career Center designed and built a new one. It bridges a swampy area in Barre, on the property of a nearby elementary school. Students in the center’s natural resource and sustainability program measured the area to ensure hikers and bikers had enough space to pass, then ordered materials to complete the bridge. A celebration followed with students from Barre Town Elementary School. Alick Lord (left) and Kyle DeRosia build a footbridge with Connor Towndrow (not pictured), a fellow team member in SkillsUSA’s Community... Read More

Former SkillsUSA Competitor Selected to the WorldSkills Champions Trust

Kieron Kohlmann Represents the United States and the WorldSkills Americas Leesburg, Va. — Kieron Kohlmann, a former SkillsUSA Championships and SkillsUSA WorldTeam competitor, has been chosen to represent the western hemisphere’s WorldSkills Americas as a member of the WorldSkills Champions Trust (WSCT). Each WSCT ambassador was a WorldSkills competitor in 2013, 2015 or 2017. Ranging in age from 18 to 25 years old, the ambassadors demonstrated excellence in their technical area and also completed a comprehensive screening process in order to be selected. These nine young adults represent five regions of WorldSkills: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania and... Read More

Annual SkillsUSA Week Celebration Highlights Workforce Development and CTE

Leesburg, Va. — Thousands of local SkillsUSA chapters are joining more than 50 state associations for SkillsUSA Week Feb. 4-10, 2018. The annual celebration, presented by Carhartt, represents over 300,000 SkillsUSA members nationwide and promotes career and technical education. The week highlights the benefits of the SkillsUSA program in developing personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. More than 4,000 schools are expected to participate this year. SkillsUSA Week activities include presentations to administrators, business leaders and legislators; school tours and open houses; community service events that benefit local charities and organizations; interviews with the media; student-led rallies and... Read More

They Answer a Call to Action

When Salina, Kan., resident William Cookson was deployed with his Army National Guard unit to Kuwait, he’d just started painting his house. Word got to the diesel technology program at Salina Area Technical College via the Military Affairs Council at the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce. It didn’t take long for 40 diesel students to finish the job. Salina businesses provided the paint and equipment. See a clip broadcast by ABC affiliate KAKE TV in Wichita: http://bit.ly/2z6Vlp4... Read More

Spooky Fundraiser Supports Vets

Helping students with funds to participate in SkillsUSA events at Herkimer (N.Y.)-Fulton-Hamilton-Ostego BOCES includes the “Spooktacular” Bazaar. This year’s event included crafts, a bake sale, prize drawings, face painting and trick-or-treating. Food trucks were on hand, and the owners agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds to the SkillsUSA chapter. In addition, attendees were asked to consider a donation of a nonperishable food, household or hygiene item to benefit Feed Our Vets. Learn more here: www.feedourvets.org. Read More

Holiday Joy on Two Wheels

For more than 16 years, students at Seminole (Texas) High School have been bringing joy to families during the holidays. They’ve held district-wide drives for food, household items and clothing. In addition, they purchase new bicycles for youngsters with funds raised at the school’s Mistletoe Market. And, they’ve refurbished bicycles donated by the community. They presented their work at the SkillsUSA Community Service competition in Louisville, Ky., earning a national silver medal. See their presentation here: http://bit.ly/2xJY0lk... Read More

Good Sports in a Field of Their Own

Freshman welding students Carson Craig and Pierce Kurasz earned silver in SkillsUSA’s Community Action Project contest in June. These members at Sabin-Shellenberg Center in Milwaukie, Ore., presented the final outcomes of five projects completed with funds from a SkillsUSA Lowe’s community service grant. Students from three local high schools repaired the baseball bleachers at Riverside Park. They also fixed the roofs of the dugouts and batting cages at Alder Creek Middle School, where they also replaced the mats and painted the wrestling room. ... Read More

SkillsUSA Championships Clothing and Tools App

SkillsUSA has updated the “SkillsUSA: Clothing and Tools” app for 2018. This is a great starter resource that does not replace the SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards but connects users to SkillsUSA’s membership site, where educators can join as professional members to receive the full standards at no charge. For each contest, the new “SkillsUSA: Clothing and Tools” app includes an overview, clothing requirements, and eligibility and safety guidelines, as well as lists the specific tools, equipment or materials that contestants need to provide. It is offered completely free of charge for students, instructors and SkillsUSA business partners. The app is available now in... Read More

Good Jobs for High School Graduates Still Exist

Quality jobs shift from blue-collar industries to skilled services. Many believe good jobs for workers without a bachelor’s degree no longer exist in a labor market buffeted by automation and globalization, but there are still plenty of “middle-income” jobs out there, according to recent research. Read the full story. Read More