SkillsUSA Content Watch - October 11, 2016 Edition

  • Posted October 17, 2016

NOW RECRUITING

Recruiting SkillsUSA "College Advisors"

We are actively seeking an instructor or administrator from each of the colleges to act as the "College Advisor" for that institution. The College Advisor would act as the single point of contact for that college and occasionally provide information and assistance to the SkillsUSA state staff. We will guarantee that this will not take up much of your time, and most of our communication will be directly with the instructors that are acting as Student Advisors. There are times however, when a single point of contact is essential. If you would like to play an important role in the success of a great program, please contact your Chancellor for authorization and let us know as soon as possible.

Recruiting SkillsUSA "Student Advisors"

A "Student Advisor" is an instructor or administrator acting on the behalf of their own SkillsUSA student members or even for students in other courses. Depending on local policy, the Student Advisor may be responsible for SkillsUSA enrollment and conference registration, as well as arranging for payments. Advisors are responsible for providing students with all pertinent SkillsUSA information, preparing them for the competition and accompanying them to the state and national conferences. When you sign up as an Advisor, you will start receiving a copy of the Advisors' Update, with more information specifically for Advisors as things progress.

Recruiting SkillsUSA "Technical Leads"

A "Technical Lead" may be an instructor, an industry professional, or other knowledgeable person that is responsible for designing (or adapting) a test for the state competition. Technical Leads are also responsible for arranging for contest judges, contest orientation, checking equipment and compiling and reporting scores.

Early Registration Incentive

As a special membership incentive, if advisors register at least 15 student members in their training program plus one or more professionals by Nov. 15, they will receive a SkillsUSA Framework podium banner. For more details on these incentives, see the membership kits or visit the SkillsUSA website: www.skillsusa.org/membership-resources/membership-kit-2/.

CAREERSAFE NATIONAL YOUTH SAFETY VIDEO CONTEST

Attention: TV and Video Production Advisors and Students (and others)

Students across the country are challenged to create a two-minute video demonstrating safety in the workplace. All submissions should be sent to CareerSafe by March 1. The winning students will receive a SkillsUSA prize pack as well as a scholarship up to $2,500, and the winning school will receive a prize up to $5,000. For more information, visit the CareerSafe website at: www.careersafeonline.com.

Looking for Talented Singers

SkillsUSA is seeking a talented performer(s) to sing the national anthem at the opening ceremony of the 2017 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Audition videos can be submitted on CD or DVD and must be the singing of the national anthem.  Please be sure each disc is marked with your name, address, school name and email address. Email submissions are not accepted. Send audition videos to Heidi Walsh, SkillsUSA, 14001 SkillsUSA Way, Leesburg, VA 20176. Questions may be directed to Heidi at 703-737-0615 or [email protected]. Auditions must be received by Feb. 3, 2017.  SkillsUSA does not pay any travel expenses for the selected singer to attend the national conference.

Information Technology Services Resource

Are your instructors looking for Information Technology Services material and suggestions? Your Computer Maintenance, Information Technology, Network, and IT Security classrooms may use the ITS Blog https://plus.google.com/+ITSSkillsUSA2015 . This is the same link supplied by SkillsUSA on the contest updates page. We encourage SkillsUSA Professional members to use the page year-round. Help your students prepare for the state and national competitions! Your professional members will find:

  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contest tips and suggestions
  • SkillsUSA LOCAL classroom projects
  • Shared experiences and advise from competitors
  • Technology advancements
  • Contest related technology news
  • Employer viewpoints and employment trends
  • Instructor and student polls
  • Photos and caption information from the national contest
  • Study resources for the national nontest
  • Links to free ebooks and online training
  • The 2016 ITS national contest briefing (STREAM ON DEMAND)

 Call the SkillsUSA Membership Hotline Toll Free: 844-875-4557

Hotline operators are ready to answer questions on how to start a new chapter, engage chapter members and strengthen an existing chapter "” you name it, they are ready to tackle it! Operators are on call from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (Eastern) Tuesday and Thursday. Don't have time to call? Send the operators an email at [email protected] or chat with them online at the membership registration site.

 Career Transitions Site Is a Free Resource

 As part of the framework lesson plan, students will benefit from visiting the Career Transitions site, where they can:

  • Assess their career interests by taking an online assessment
  • Browse career paths and check out videos of real people working in the field
  • Learn to write a resume and cover letter

With this free registration, students will receive a year's worth of career planning tools and resources that will help ensure they are career-ready. Don't delay, have students sign up today to begin to take advantage of these tools!

 SkillsUSA Active Advisor News

To access the October 2016 SkillsUSA Active Advisor News, click on the following link or cut and paste it into your browser. www.skillsusa.org/active-advisor-news-october-2016/

THE DATA PROVES IT

Technical Education Students Can Earn More than Others

Analysis finds that students who choose an industry-aligned, quality postsecondary technical education can go on to earn more, on average, over the long term than their peers at some of the nation's most selective liberal-arts universities. Career and technical students are better insulated from job losses driven by workforce automation, a growing factor affecting the labor market, according to Young. You can download the white paper here: www.uti.edu/prepare4future.

Chapter Development

SkillsUSA is a professional organization that is designed to be run by students, for their own growth and benefit. SkillsUSA members develop technical, academic and employability skills that will help them get a job and have a successful career. Through chapter meetings, contests, and leadership activities, students will be building these skills. Each chapter chooses, plans and conducts its own activities. This year we would like to encourage you to further develop your chapter organization by having your members elect student officers and plan your chapter activity. They can approve a local constitution, develop by-laws, plan local events and organize fundraising activities. Below is a link to the SkillsUSA training module that will walk you through the process. Remember that you have a great deal of latitude in establishing your chapter depending on the circumstances at your college. Student officers can take a load off the Advisor and is part of the growth and learning process that prepares them for success.

Officer Election Process

http://www.skillsusa.org/courses/13_OfficersandElections/player.html

PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FILES FOR SKILLSUSA

The videos at this link can be used for a variety of purposes in developing your SkillsUSA Chapter. Please use them freely.

https://www.transferbigfiles.com/56dd6c7c-f12e-4858-a9f4-dbf263342220/-C2MRXeM53EUrNh-kpa_Bg2