SkillsUSA Louisiana Championship
Registration will close within two weeks for the SkillsUSA Louisiana Championship! March 29-31, 2023, are the dates for the 41st SkillsUSA Louisiana Leadership and Skills Conference (SLSC) to be held in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana.
Don't Miss the deadline of March 3 to register your student. March 7 for the Hotel.
Be sure to monitor the contest updates page on the State website to be informed of any changes and materials needed for each contest.
Share Your SkillsUSA Week Stories!
From Feb. 6-10, chapters across the country engaged in experiences that honored their community supporters, connected with local business and industry professionals, advocated for CTE with legislative representatives and shared SkillsUSA with their administrators. See how the SkillsUSA national officers and Executive Director Chelle Travis spent SkillsUSA Week!
There is still time to share your SkillsUSA Week stories, photos or links with the SkillsUSA headquarters, and we just may feature your chapter on the SkillsUSA Champions digital hub or on our social media.
The SkillsUSA Advocacy Site has a template to help you promote your activities to the media. Finally, if your chapter conducted advocacy visits during the week, use this form to let us know! Thanks for being SkillsUSA champions every day — every week — of the year!
Register Members by March 1
The SkillsUSA national membership deadline is March 1. Student members must register by the national deadline to be eligible to participate in national competitions; serve as voting delegates; run for national office; participate in national programming; or apply for scholarships, awards and honors. The list of state dues and deadlines is here and the Membership Quick Start Guide explains the member registration process. If you need assistance with registration, call the SkillsUSA Customer Care Team toll free at 844-875-4557 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. ET, Tuesday and Thursday. You can also send an email to customercare@skillsusa.org.
Take Up the Challenge! National Conference Pin and T-shirt Design
SkillsUSA is offering the 2023 National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) Pin and T-shirt Design Challenge to all students who are registered as members by March 1. The winning designs will become the official T-shirt and pin design for the 2023 NLSC. Entries are due by March 3 at 12 a.m. ET, and winners will be announced on March 10. Rules and submission links can be found on the SkillsUSA website.
Are You a “Maker and Fixer?” Snap-on Wants to Spotlight and Reward You
SkillsUSA industry partner Snap-on is shining a spotlight on the Makers and Fixers who keep the world moving. They seek stories about skilled people who work with their hands in the essential industries that focus on transportation — in the air, in the automotive shops or on the roads and rails. Future, past or present Makers and Fixers are invited to share their personal stories or nominate someone they admire. To share your story, visit the Share Your Story page, write about yourself and upload a few photos of you working on a project. Follow @MakersandFixers on Instagram to see if your story is shared. All eligible stories are entered into a drawing, and two stories are picked each month to win a prize valued up to $600. Visit the official rules for more information.
Plan Now for SkillsUSA National Signing Day on May 4
On May 4, SkillsUSA National Signing Day will celebrate high school seniors and college/postsecondary students who have chosen to pursue careers as professionals in the skilled trades. SkillsUSA chapters are encouraged to host a
signing day event and invite business partners, school administrators, teachers, elected officials, SkillsUSA alumni, family and friends to honor graduating seniors as they sign “letters of intent” for a job offer, apprenticeship or advanced technical training. Registration opens March 13, early bird registration ends April 3 and registration closes April 21.
Early Bird registration before April 3 provides eligibility for the following:
Students can apply to receive a $1,000 scholarship (25 to be awarded).
Signing Day supply bundles valued at $500 each will be awarded to 10 schools (schools must register five or more students to be eligible).
First 500 registrants receive Signing Day baseball caps.
First 250 advisors who register five or more students receive a $50 Lowe’s gift card .
Ten step-and-repeat banners with the SkillsUSA logo, the Signing Day logo and the school’s name will be given away (schools must register five or more students to be eligible).
50 chapters who register five or more students will receive a “National Signing Day Welcome” poster, 35 certificates and sleeves and a vinyl Signing Day podium sign.
Signing Day grants of $250 will be awarded to 50 schools to enhance their Signing Day experience (schools must register five or more students to be eligible) .
A digital Signing Day toolkit to help plan your event and details on how to apply for the incentives will be posted on the Signing Day webpage soon.
Learn the Essential Elements in the SkillsUSA Framework Integration Toolkit
The Framework Integration Toolkit has everything you need to ensure career readiness within your classroom, training program and chapter. To bring fun to the classroom or chapter meeting, SkillsUSA Framework Bingo and Kahoot games are included. Also available is a SkillsUSA Essential Element assessment where students review behaviors of each Essential Element and rate themselves on how accurate the behavior is to their experience. Professional members can access the Toolkit in SkillsUSA Absorb.
SkillsUSA Educational Resources are Available to Meet Your Needs
For educational resources that spark interest and engage your chapter members, check out the SkillsUSA online educational resource store. Here are a few highlights of what’s offered.
Framework Resources: Ignite ($9.95) equips you with 68 bellringers (startup tasks) to engage students with career readiness topics that tie to the SkillsUSA Framework. Post a bellringer before class starts and discuss the task and its’ relationship to school, SkillsUSA and the workplace.
Leadership and Personal Growth: Leveraging Your Leadership ($4.95) Newly updated with a specific focus on workplace communication, including resume writing and job interviewing.
SkillsUSA Championships: Job Skill Demonstration Coaching Guide ($14.95) This coaching guide is for the Job Skill Demonstration contest. Coaching guides are also available for Prepared Speech and the Career Pathways Showcase contests, and more will be available soon.
In addition to the educational resources, you can also find posters, lapel pins, “Why SkillsUSA” student and teacher brochures, Framework Thank-You cards and more.
SkillsUSA Technical Fridays Workshops
Join us for “SkillsUSA Technical Fridays,” a series of virtual workshops led by industry experts to help teachers develop specific technical skills relevant to their career fields. Leave the sessions with new knowledge and skills to implement in the classroom. On Feb. 17, from 4-5 p.m. ET, Andrea Arrigucci will lead a “Professional Dining Etiquette” session. Attendees will learn specifics of a formal table setting, including the use of each utensil. The session will also analyze the body language, attitude and conversation that makes high-stress situations in dining more approachable and manageable, and it will explore the cultural differences in dining and how to adapt an approach to make those around you more comfortable. Andrea is the senior program specialist for the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management and facilitator of Marriott Hospitality Futures Center at New Mexico University. Space is still available for this workshop. Register today, and learn more about the workshops here. If you have questions, contact Karolina Belen.
The SkillsUSA Store — Featured Product
Stay on trend and ready for adventure with the Excursion Fanny Pack. This fashionable and fun accessory is perfect for anyone who likes to travel light. Carry your keys, wallet, or phone without the hassle of a heavy bag weighing you down. With two accessory pockets, you can even store a camera. Take it to a conference, out sightseeing, or even use it for school. This makes a great gift, too!
