Education Consultant and State Association Director of SkillsUSA California Elected to Serve on the SkillsUSA National Board of Directors

Published: October 26, 2017
Leesburg, Va., Oct. 3, 2017 – Clayton Mitchell, education programs consultant for the California Department of Education and state association director for SkillsUSA California, was elected to serve on the SkillsUSA national board of directors. Mitchell was elected at the most recent meeting of the board in Alexandria, Va. Mitchell began his involvement in career and technical education in 1970 while attending Katella High School in Anaheim, Calif. His involvement with the SkillsUSA organization began while serving as a judge for competitive events in 2000 at the local and state level in California. Mitchell was assigned to the SkillsUSA California state director position in 2009 and was charged with improving the state association for students and advisors by building stronger business/industry and educational partnerships. SkillsUSA California has grown from 2,360 members in 2010 to over 22,000 in 2017 and has been recognized by the national association for its accomplishments in membership and local chapter growth. Mitchell works with local education agencies throughout California to provide industry-aligned professional development opportunities for classroom instructors so that their students will meet the needs of a changing workforce in California. “It is an honor and privilege to serve on the SkillsUSA board of directors as the Region 5 representative,” Mitchell said. “I am looking forward to working with the board to help SkillsUSA to continue to grow and succeed.” SkillsUSA is a vital solution to the growing U.S. skills gap. This nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry ensures America has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive. Founded in 1965 and endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, the association serves more than 335,000 member students and instructors each year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. This diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level. SkillsUSA programs are integrated into career and technical education through a framework of personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Local, state and national championships, designed and judged by industry, set relevant standards for career and technical education and provide needed recognition to its students. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and other workplace credentials. For more information, go to: www.SkillsUSA.org

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