Federal and industry officials participated in the official launch of the SkillsUSA Career Essentials Credential at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 24.
The SkillsUSA Career Essentials curriculum and credential program provide career and technical education students with the foundational skills, attitudes and values necessary to ensure America has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive on a global scale.
Speakers at the event included Assistant Secretary John Pallasch from the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, and from the U.S. Department of Education, Principal Deputy Under Secretary Diane Auer Jones.
Joining them was Rose Bauss, general manager of product quality and service support at Toyota USA. “The SkillsUSA Career Essentials Credential will play an integral role in developing the skilled workforce that our industry and our country needs,” Bauss said. “Toyota is proud to be one of the first supporters of the Career Essentials Credential, and we look forward to how it will reshape the future of the U.S. workforce.”
Sharing their personal experiences in obtaining the credential were former SkillsUSA student officers Brandon Ramirez of North Carolina and Brooke Gatchell of Rhode Island.
“The SkillsUSA Career Essentials Credential will ensure students are career-ready and that they are prepared to be future company and community leaders,” said SkillsUSA executive director Tim Lawrence. “We applaud our partners for stepping forward to work together and support the SkillsUSA Career Essentials Credential, and we are confident that this certification program will be transformational for industries across the United States.”
Other SkillsUSA business partners and supporters attended the event and a lunch that followed. The SkillsUSA Career Essentials Credential is based on research of employer needs and has been validated by 3M, Toyota USA, Toyota Motor North America, U.S. Coast Guard, Volvo Construction Equipment, Alabama Community College System, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), CareerSafe LLC, CBRE, Centuri, Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), IAA, Kreg Tools, Magna International, National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and Spirit AeroSystems.
To see the full press release, go to: https://tinyurl.com/yxluazca.
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