A delegation of Career and Technical Education (CTE) students and instructors from Alabama met with senators and Washington leaders while taking part in the annual SkillsUSA Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI) recently. The delegation also paid respects at the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Pentagon 9-11 Memorial.
The Northeast Alabama Community College Chapter of SkillsUSA was represented by our three chapter and state officers: Collin Andrews, Victoria Hall and Lauren Wilson. SkillsUSA advisor Donna Moore accompanied the students on the trip. Andrews, Hall and Wilson are Drafting and Design Technology students at NACC.
The five-day Washington Leadership Training Institute is sponsored each year by SkillsUSA to provide students an opportunity to learn about Washington and the democratic process. This year’s delegations discussed the value of their education; the value of public career and technical education to their respective states; the quality of their education and training; their occupational plans; and the benefits of their participation in SkillsUSA. They explained that today’s workplace requires people with leadership, teamwork and communication skills to participate in high-quality systems. SkillsUSA has been successful in developing these skills in students of all ages and backgrounds.
The Washington Leadership Training Institute is a “capstone” leadership and citizenship training event to which students must apply for admission. WLTI concentrates on advanced communication skills, including working with the news media and the inner working of government.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, SkillsUSA is an integral part of public career and technical education (CTE) and CTE is Learning that Works for America. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the average high school graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE programs is 90.18% compared to an average national freshman graduation rate of 80%. CTE is also about jobs–good middle-class jobs–that are essential for the American economy and global competitiveness. Experts project 47 million job openings in the decade ending 2018. One-third will require an associate’s degree or certificate and nearly all will require real-world skills that can be mastered through CTE.
SkillsUSA is a national organization serving more than 300,000 high school and college students and professional members who are enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health occupations. It has the active support of more than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions at the national level. Student membership in SkillsUSA offers leadership, citizenship and character development programs and activities to complement skill training. Its programs help students prepare to go to work and on to further education. SkillsUSA emphasizes respect for the dignity of work, high standards in trade ethics, workmanship, scholarship and safety. It promotes understanding of the free enterprise system and encourages the development of patriotism through democratic practices in local chapters.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) is learning that works for America. CTE is helping our nation meet the very real and immediate challenges of economic development, student achievement and global competitiveness. CTE is developing America’s most valuable resource – its people; helping them gain the skills, technical knowledge, academic foundation and real-world experience they need to prepare for high-skill, high-demand, high-wage careers–and keep America working–in every sense of the word. For more information, go tohttp://www.skillsusa.org
For more information about SkillsUSA at NACC, contact Kelly Black, Drafting & Design Technology Instructor at ext. 2286 or by email at blackk@nacc.edu.
For more information about NACC, go to www.nacc.edu or download the college’s free App at the Apple App Store or by going to www.naccmobile.com.
