SKILLSUSA

'SkillsUSA' is a United States career and technical student organization serving more than 285,000 high school and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations.

Contents

History

Membership

Curricula

National Leadership and Skills Conference

References

External links

History

SkillsUSA was originally known as the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA). Prior to 1965, attempts at national skill organizations failed. There was still a demand for skill and trade organizations, however. In 1960, the American Vocational Association (AVA) held a meeting, where a committee was formed to facilitate a solution. Representatives from the U.S. Office of Education and the National Association of State Supervisors of Trade and Industrial Education (NASSnE) formed the committee. By 1962, the AVA encouraged the Office of Education to hire an employee to form the national organization. At the 1964 AVA convention, powerful leaders of industry and organizational leaders to include U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Secondary School Principals spoke in favor of the proposed organization.
The constitution establishing the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America was adopted at the Trade and Industrial Youth Conference May 6-8, 1965 at the Hotel Andrew Jackson in Nashville, Tennessee. Representatives for 14 states, consisting of approximately 200 students, advisors, and business and labor representatives, gathered to choose the club's name, colors, motto, purposes and goals.^[1][2] The official red blazer, part of the organization's uniform, was patterned after the blazer from Illinois's organization.² These representatives were from existing vocational education groups which agreed to finance the effort, from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Illinois actually provided the salary for Philip Baird to be the first executive secretary of the newly founded VICA. The Future Farmers of America are credited with making the first financial contribution. The American Vocational Association offered office space at no cost in its Washington headquarters. Additionally, the AVA's Trade and Industrial Division provided a grant.²
Tommy Snider from Griffin, Georgia was elected as VICA's first student president and Larry W. Johnson, the assistant supervisor of T&I education and state advisor for the Vocation Industrial Clubs of North Carolina, became the first executive secretary of VICA on July 1, 1965.^12[3]
By 1966, membership was up to 29,534, spanning 1,074 clubs across 26 states and territories. Additionally, the first issue of the club's magazine was produced.¹ At the national conference, held in Little Rock, Arkansas, the VICA emblem was unveiled, and the first official state charters were presented.²
In 1969, the Postsecondary Division of VICA was approved during a Constitutional Convention held in Memphis, Tennessee, ² bringing total membership to 82,000.¹ The following year, the first edition of the VICA Leadership Handbook. was published.¹
On VICA's ten year anniversary (1975), the organization inducted its one millionth member. Three years later, VICA saw the start of the construction of its National Leadership Center in Leesburg, Virginia.¹
VICA hosted the International Youth Skill Olympics--he competition following the National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC-- for the first time in 1981, in Atlanta.
In 1995, the national competition, then known as the United States Skill Olympics, was renamed to the Skills USA Championships during the NLSC. In, 1999, during the NLSC, VICA was renamed to SkillsUSA-VICA; The name was shortened to SkillsUSA in 2004.¹

Membership

SkillsUSA has more than a 280,000 student members annually, organized into more than 15,000 chapters and 54 state and territorial associations (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands).
Approximately 15,166 teachers and school administrators serve as professional SkillsUSA members and instructors.^[4]
More than 1,100 corporations, trade associations and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA on a national level through financial aid, in-kind contributions, and involvement of their people in SkillsUSA activities. Many more work directly with state associations and local chapters. ⁴
SkillsUSA programs include local, state and national competitions. During the annual national-level SkillsUSA Championships, more than 5,000 students compete in 87 hands-on skill and leadership contests.
SkillsUSA programs also help to establish industry standards for job skill training in the classroom.^[5]
SkillsUSA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
^[6] and is cited as a "successful model of employer-driven youth development training program" by the U.S. Department of Labor.^[7]

Curricula

The Professional Development Program (PDP) teaches 84 workplace skill competencies in a series of hands-on self-paced lessons.
The Total Quality Curriculum (TQC) trains students through activity-based instruction.
Student2Student Mentoring gives high school students a chance to mentor younger students.
CareerSafe is a credentialed 10-hour online training program developed in cooperation with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to provide students with basic knowledge of safety and a credential desired in the job market.
Workplace Readiness Certification demonstrates student attainment of employability skills. It requires successful completion of a written exam prepared with NOCTI (National Occupational Competency Testing Institute) and NASDCTEc, the consortium of state directors of Career and Technical Education.

National Leadership and Skills Conference

The National Leadership and Skills Conference is held annually in Kansas City, Missouri. Most of the competitions are held at Bartle Hall Convention Center, on the showroom floor. The other competitions are held at Municipal Auditorium, American Royal Center, and the Marriott (including the historic Muehlebach Tower), Radisson and Phillips hotels, located downtown. SkillsUSA members, delegates and advisors stay in 23 separate hotels in the Kansas City area. The week-long conference entails the competitions, TECHSPO (the nation's largest trade show in trade and industrial education), a career fair, and SkillsUSA student government sessions.
Students from the various state associations socialize and learn from one another during the week. Each state association has collectible pins that are often traded between students from various state associations. These pins are normally worn on the official SkillsUSA blazer.
There are recreational activities scheduled during the conference week, including a SkillsUSA night at Worlds of Fun. Other activities include the Kansas City Zoo, Oceans of Fun and the Kansas City Speedway racetrack tour.
The week culminates in the awards presentation. At the awards ceremony, the NLSC also plays host to a keynote speaker. There have been a number of noteworthy speakers. Some of them include:¹

★ Ronald Regan, 40^th President of the United States

★ Lou Holtz, former football coach, currently a college football analyst for ESPN.

★ Chuck Yeager, retired Air Force general, one of three persons believed to be the first to break the sound barrier.

★ Janet Evans, record-breaking American competitive swimmer.

★ Mary Lou Retton, medaling American Olympic gymnast.

★ Dick Vitale, former college and professional basketball coach, currently and most known for sports commentator.

★ Terry Bradshaw, former professional football quarterback.

★ Dan Jansen, a former speed skater, best known for winning a gold medal in his final Olympic race.

★ James Lovell, a retired Navy captain, best known as the commander of Apollo 13.

★ Joe Engle, a retired Air Force colonel, most notable as a distinguished NASA astronaut.

★ Terry Bowden, a college football analyst/commentator, motivational speaker and former college football coach.

References

1. SkillsUSA History
2. SKILLS USA HISTORY
3. SkillsUSA-VICA Leadership Handbook, , , SkillsUSA-VICA, SkillsUSA-VICA, Inc., ,
4. SkillsUSA Fact Sheet
5. Best of the Best (Skills USA-VICA National Leadership and Skills Conference and SkillsUSA Championships), , Gelinas, Tom, Fleet Equipment, 2000
6. Career and Technical Student Organizations
7. Training Employment and Guidance Notice No. 3-04 Emily Stover DeRocco

External links

★ SkillsUSA.org - Official SkillsUSA website