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SkillsUSA Utah State Directors message
April 18, 2021
Hello everyone. I hope you had a great weekend.
I want to express my gratitude for the amazing support and participation by students and advisors in the SkillsUSA Utah events this past year, despite the crazy issues that surround us. Your efforts are proof of the strength and durability of the human spirit. I am especially proud of our student contestants that persevered through many challenges to prepare for the state contests and demonstrate their skills at an extremely high level. I have said it before, and I will say it again. We have the best students, trained in the best programs, led by the best professional educators, in the best facilities, using the best equipment, supported by the best administrators and industry partners in the country. I can hardly wait for our gold medal students to show their skills at the SkillsUSA Virtual National Leadership and Skills Conference against the best competitors our nation has to offer.
It is time to prepare for the national conference registration procedure. If you will go to our state website at https://www.utahskillsusa.org/ you will find a heading in the black bar that says, “Conferences and Events.” Hover over this area, then click on the NLSC tab to navigate to our 2021 NLSC information page. Click on the buttons to locate the following documents:
NLSC 2021 Registration Instructions
NLSC 2021 Blank Registration and Liability Release Form
NLSC 2021 Student Supervision Requirement Policy
NLSC 2021 Official Contest List (with Official Codes)
NLSC 2021 Schedule of Events
National Professional Development Test Study Guide
Please, please, please take the time to read through all these documents, starting with the “Registration Instructions.” I know there is a lot of information, but these documents will answer 99.5% of your national conference registration questions. Follow the instructions carefully and you will find tips on how to complete the national conference registration process with a high degree of accuracy and with a minimum amount of time and frustration. Notice that I said minimum frustration, not zero frustration. If you read through the materials and search the resources as needed, and still have questions, feel free to contact us for clarification. If we do not have the answers, we will find someone that does.
The national conference registration site will be activated as soon as the national office approves the final configuration. I expect this to happen Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Meanwhile, print or download enough copies of the “Blank Registration and Liability Release Form” for each of your gold medal students and have them carefully complete every section of the document. They may need their parents and their advisors help. Collect the completed forms and use them to complete the online registration for each student when the system is activated.
I know you have heard this story before, but the ULSC awards program video will be posted to You Tube very soon. It is about 35 minutes long. An email will come to all advisors as soon as it is posted and verified operational.
Advisors, thanks again for everything you do for our CTE students. It is my great pleasure to be associated with such dedicated education professionals.
Respectively,
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
April 18, 2021
Hello everyone. I hope you had a great weekend.
I want to express my gratitude for the amazing support and participation by students and advisors in the SkillsUSA Utah events this past year, despite the crazy issues that surround us. Your efforts are proof of the strength and durability of the human spirit. I am especially proud of our student contestants that persevered through many challenges to prepare for the state contests and demonstrate their skills at an extremely high level. I have said it before, and I will say it again. We have the best students, trained in the best programs, led by the best professional educators, in the best facilities, using the best equipment, supported by the best administrators and industry partners in the country. I can hardly wait for our gold medal students to show their skills at the SkillsUSA Virtual National Leadership and Skills Conference against the best competitors our nation has to offer.
It is time to prepare for the national conference registration procedure. If you will go to our state website at https://www.utahskillsusa.org/ you will find a heading in the black bar that says, “Conferences and Events.” Hover over this area, then click on the NLSC tab to navigate to our 2021 NLSC information page. Click on the buttons to locate the following documents:
NLSC 2021 Registration Instructions
NLSC 2021 Blank Registration and Liability Release Form
NLSC 2021 Student Supervision Requirement Policy
NLSC 2021 Official Contest List (with Official Codes)
NLSC 2021 Schedule of Events
National Professional Development Test Study Guide
Please, please, please take the time to read through all these documents, starting with the “Registration Instructions.” I know there is a lot of information, but these documents will answer 99.5% of your national conference registration questions. Follow the instructions carefully and you will find tips on how to complete the national conference registration process with a high degree of accuracy and with a minimum amount of time and frustration. Notice that I said minimum frustration, not zero frustration. If you read through the materials and search the resources as needed, and still have questions, feel free to contact us for clarification. If we do not have the answers, we will find someone that does.
The national conference registration site will be activated as soon as the national office approves the final configuration. I expect this to happen Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Meanwhile, print or download enough copies of the “Blank Registration and Liability Release Form” for each of your gold medal students and have them carefully complete every section of the document. They may need their parents and their advisors help. Collect the completed forms and use them to complete the online registration for each student when the system is activated.
I know you have heard this story before, but the ULSC awards program video will be posted to You Tube very soon. It is about 35 minutes long. An email will come to all advisors as soon as it is posted and verified operational.
Advisors, thanks again for everything you do for our CTE students. It is my great pleasure to be associated with such dedicated education professionals.
Respectively,
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
April 15, 2021
SkillsUSA Utah State Directors message
April 15, 2021
May I be the first to congratulate all our 2021 SkillsUSA Utah state conference competitors for their dedication and competitive spirit. You are all truly remarkable. May I also express my congratulations to our state bronze, silver and gold medalists for a job well done.
I apologize for the technical fiasco that postponed our virtual awards program. Although many hours went into the preparation and production of this event, it appears that my technology curse extended to the upload process, and it simply did not work. We intend to fix the issues and publish it in its entirety on our state website as soon as possible, so we can give special recognition to some especially important people in our organization, in addition to our important student medalists.
For all medalists, there are medals and contest prizes prepared for delivery to reward you for your efforts. Please be patient and realize there are significant logistical challenges to deliver hundreds of prizes from Logan to St. George and Tooele to Vernal. We will get these items to you as soon as possible. Because we did not know which contests would be run in the virtual environment until after the gold medal banner order deadline had passed, we will get the 2021 state gold medalist banners ordered as soon a possible and deliver them to the appropriate schools for display.
We received the last contest results on Thursday, April 15th, so we are finally able to close our state conference management system and reconfigure it for the national conference registration. On Monday, April 19th, national conference registration procedures, prices, forms and documents will be available on our SkillsUSA Utah state website National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) webpage. The national conference registration system will be operational (unless my tech curse continues) and national conference registrations can be completed on the official site. Please note that the national conference registration deadline for all SkillsUSA Utah participants is Friday, May 7th. The national conference payment deadline is Monday, May 24th. More details will be posted by next Monday.
Once again, my apologies for the delayed program. I know that is three hours you won’t get back, but we had to try. Congratulations to our amazing young professionals. I look forward to your incredible success during the national conference events.
With best regards,
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
SkillsUSA Utah State Directors message
April 15, 2021
May I be the first to congratulate all our 2021 SkillsUSA Utah state conference competitors for their dedication and competitive spirit. You are all truly remarkable. May I also express my congratulations to our state bronze, silver and gold medalists for a job well done.
I apologize for the technical fiasco that postponed our virtual awards program. Although many hours went into the preparation and production of this event, it appears that my technology curse extended to the upload process, and it simply did not work. We intend to fix the issues and publish it in its entirety on our state website as soon as possible, so we can give special recognition to some especially important people in our organization, in addition to our important student medalists.
For all medalists, there are medals and contest prizes prepared for delivery to reward you for your efforts. Please be patient and realize there are significant logistical challenges to deliver hundreds of prizes from Logan to St. George and Tooele to Vernal. We will get these items to you as soon as possible. Because we did not know which contests would be run in the virtual environment until after the gold medal banner order deadline had passed, we will get the 2021 state gold medalist banners ordered as soon a possible and deliver them to the appropriate schools for display.
We received the last contest results on Thursday, April 15th, so we are finally able to close our state conference management system and reconfigure it for the national conference registration. On Monday, April 19th, national conference registration procedures, prices, forms and documents will be available on our SkillsUSA Utah state website National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) webpage. The national conference registration system will be operational (unless my tech curse continues) and national conference registrations can be completed on the official site. Please note that the national conference registration deadline for all SkillsUSA Utah participants is Friday, May 7th. The national conference payment deadline is Monday, May 24th. More details will be posted by next Monday.
Once again, my apologies for the delayed program. I know that is three hours you won’t get back, but we had to try. Congratulations to our amazing young professionals. I look forward to your incredible success during the national conference events.
With best regards,
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
April 5th, 2021
2021 Delegate Session and New State Officer Voting Session will be held on Tuesday April 13th at 6:00 PM. Zoom Meeting coming soon! You can still apply to be a state officer by filling out the application located under About Us> Organization> Student Officer Team. Or going to this page here.
The 2021 Closing Ceremony Video will be on Thursday April 15th at 6:00 PM
2021 Delegate Session and New State Officer Voting Session will be held on Tuesday April 13th at 6:00 PM. Zoom Meeting coming soon! You can still apply to be a state officer by filling out the application located under About Us> Organization> Student Officer Team. Or going to this page here.
The 2021 Closing Ceremony Video will be on Thursday April 15th at 6:00 PM
March 26th, 2021
Please see the Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Question and Answer Recording here.
Please see the Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Question and Answer Recording here.
March 17th, 2021
Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Question and Answer Zoom Meeting
We will be holding a Question and Answer Zoom Meeting to discuss how our Utah State Conference will work. Please join us on Friday, March 19th at 5:30 PM. We will be reviewing our website, and how the SkillsUSA Championships Hub (LMS- Learning Management System) works.
SkillsUSA Utah is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: SkillsUSA Utah Championships Hub Q&A Session
Time: Friday March 19th 5:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87258935544?pwd=NGQ3b0YzWWtjcTBqRWR2UVlxTHNoQT09
Meeting ID: 872 5893 5544
Passcode: 082825
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,87258935544#,,,,*082825# US (Tacoma)
+13462487799,,87258935544#,,,,*082825# US (Houston)
Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Question and Answer Zoom Meeting
We will be holding a Question and Answer Zoom Meeting to discuss how our Utah State Conference will work. Please join us on Friday, March 19th at 5:30 PM. We will be reviewing our website, and how the SkillsUSA Championships Hub (LMS- Learning Management System) works.
SkillsUSA Utah is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: SkillsUSA Utah Championships Hub Q&A Session
Time: Friday March 19th 5:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87258935544?pwd=NGQ3b0YzWWtjcTBqRWR2UVlxTHNoQT09
Meeting ID: 872 5893 5544
Passcode: 082825
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,87258935544#,,,,*082825# US (Tacoma)
+13462487799,,87258935544#,,,,*082825# US (Houston)
March 10th, 2021
We are excited to announce that the SkillsUSA Championships Hub has launched! The SkillsUSA Championships Hub houses all of the traditional SkillsUSA Championships content in a new virtual setting.
Your competitors should have already received an automatic enrollment email from the SkillsUSA Championships Hub. Competitors will need to follow the directions contained within this email to create their account and access their contest. Didn’t receive an enrollment email? See “Missing Email?” below.
After competitors have successfully set up their account, all contests that the competitor is entered into will automatically appear within their account in addition to a SkillsUSA Championships Orientation Module. This orientation module contains important information about the virtual championships, a quick orientation video as well as useful tools and content provided by the SkillsUSA state office.
It is the student’s responsibility to log on to the Championships Hub and share that information with their advisor/s. All contests will have a document named “Contest Guide” which will include some crucial competition information. Please review the contest status sheet for more information, this is located on our state website under Conferences and Events> USLC- Utah Leadership and Skills Competition> Scroll to the bottom and find Important Files and Documents.
Missing Email?
Competitors should receive an automatically generated email originating from “SkillsUSA.” Please have your competitor(s) search their email inbox and spam folders for “SkillsUSA” and “NextThought” before escalating your issue.
If you have confirmed that your student has not received the auto enrollment email, please contact the SkillsUSA Customer Care Team with the competitors name, contest, and an alternative email address to direct the auto-email to.
SkillsUSA Customer Care Team
Email: customercare@skillsusa.org
Phone: 844-875-4557
March 4th, 2021
Please read through the State Director's Message dated March 4th below or download the document.
Please view the updated Contest Status Sheet located under Important Files & Documents under our ULSC-Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Page.
Action Items:
All students, advisors, and proctors are required to submit the following documents to the dropbox folder below.
*PLEASE SAVE FILE AS FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, AND SCHOOL*
Please read through the State Director's Message dated March 4th below or download the document.
Please view the updated Contest Status Sheet located under Important Files & Documents under our ULSC-Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Page.
Action Items:
All students, advisors, and proctors are required to submit the following documents to the dropbox folder below.
*PLEASE SAVE FILE AS FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, AND SCHOOL*
- SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Participation Agreement
- SkillsUSA Utah COVID-19 Waiver
- SkillsUSA Utah Fair Play Pledge
March 4, 2021
State Directors Message
State Directors Message
Please read every sentence of the following message very carefully. The eligibility and success of your students at the state conference depends on your full cooperation with the following guidelines.
1. Wow! What a crazy year. I hope you are all safe and healthy. As we continue our path towards our totally virtual state conference, there are numerous procedural changes for our state conference this year. We will conduct each contest in such a way that allows every eligible student contestant an equal opportunity for success in a fair and equitable competition. The Technical Committees are preparing for quality competitions in a virtual environment. It goes without saying that these are challenging times, so your patience is appreciated.
2. State conference registration is closed. Only drops and qualified substitutions are allowed at this point. No additional state conference registrations will be allowed.
3. Membership registration is closed. While the national organization will still accept membership registrations and membership dues payments, students registered after March 1, 2021 are not eligible to compete at the state and national competition events.
4. Contestant qualification: Only students that are properly registered and paid members of SkillsUSA AND properly registered and paid state conference contestants will be allowed to compete. If one member of a “team” event cannot compete and there is not a properly registered member substitute, the whole team will likely be disqualified.
5. Substitute Policy: All substitutes must be properly registered student members of SkillsUSA from the same school chapter before March 1, 2021. To activate a substitute contestant, email the assistant to the state director, Savannah Costello at savannahwhitney1017@gmail.com and provide the following information:
A. First and Last Name, School, and Contest of the Contestant being Dropped
B. First and Last Name, School and Contest of the Contestant being used as a substitute.
6. SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Participation Agreement: Every SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference participant is required to download, read, sign, date and submit a completed SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Participation Agreement to the drop box file, as instructed on the state website. Student contestants under the age of 18 are required to obtain a parent/guardian signature and date on this document. Participants that fail to submit a properly signed and dated Participation Agreement will be disqualified from participation in the state conference events.
7. SkillsUSA Utah COVID-19 Waiver: Every SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference participant is required to download, read, sign, date and submit a completed SkillsUSA Utah COVID-19 Waiver to the drop box file, as instructed on the state website. Student contestants under the age of 18 are required to obtain a parent/guardian signature and date on this document. Participants that fail to submit a properly signed and dated COVID-19 Waiver will be disqualified from participation in the state conference events.
8. SkillsUSA Fair Play Pledge: Every SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference participant is required to download, read, sign, date and submit a completed SkillsUSA Utah Fair Play Pledge to the drop box file, as instructed on the state website. There is a specific pledge for each participant category: Students, Advisor and Contest Proctor. Participants that fail to submit a properly signed and dated Fair Play Pledge will be disqualified from participation in the state conference events.
9. Resume’ Requirement: ALL contestants are required to submit/upload a professionally formatted resume to the SkillsUSA Utah LMS system, as instructed on the state website. Failure to submit a resume’ or if the resume’ does not have a “professional appearance”, will result in a 10-point deduction. This deduction will apply to every member of a team event that fails to submit an acceptable resume’. Upload details will be provided soon.
10. SkillsUSA Professional Development Program / SkillsUSA Knowledge Test: All student contestants are required to take this test as part of their state competition experience. Failure to take the test will result in a 10-point deduction. This deduction will apply to every member of a team event that fails to submit an acceptable resume’. Instructions and a study guide will be posted on the ULSC page of our state website.
11. Contests will be held at the individual schools. School advisors/administrators are responsible to ensure full compliance with all current pandemic policies and procedures, as identified in the COVID-19 Waiver document.
12. The Technical Committee members and judges from each contest will determine the exact contest requirements that may include but are not limited to: Contestants may be viewed and recorded via one or more webcams controlled by a contest proctor. Contestants may be required to submit an electronic portfolio or other contest documentation. Contestants may be required to submit a pre-recorded video file. Contestant may be required to complete an on-line exam, why being proctored by the designated contest proctor. Additional contest procedures may be used depending on the judge’s preferences.
13. Each host school advisor is responsible to identify and recruit one or more “proctors” to provide oversight of the local competitions and assist the contest judges as needed. It is preferred that these proctors be local business/industry professionals, possibly from your program advisory committee.
14. In keeping with national SkillsUSA policy and Utah State Board of Education directives, student contestants must demonstrate “skill proficiency” and score at or above the contest cut score on the official contest score card to earn a state conference medal. If the final score is high enough, as determined by the contest judges, a gold medal will be awarded, and the student or team of students will represent the State of Utah at the 2021 Virtual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.
15. 2021 “General” State Conference Regulations document: All advisors and contestants must review this document prior to competing at the state conference event. These regulations closely mirror the national championship policies, procedures and regulations. A thorough understanding of these procedures will better prepare all Utah contestants for success at the state and national levels.
16. Contest Status Sheet (This is where you will find the contest dates and times.) This information is posted on the ULSC page of our state website. This information is subject to frequent changes, so check it often.
17. Contest Update Information (This is where you will find the latest contest information from the contest judges.) This information is posted on the ULSC page of our state website. This information is subject to frequent changes, so check it often.
18. Technical Standards: The Contest Technical Standards are your best resource for what to expect for each contest. Advisors can access the 2021 Technical Standards on the national website with a paid professional membership. 19. SkillsUSA LMS: To manage our state conference in a virtual environment, the national organization has provided an on line Learning Management System (LMS) like the Canvas LMS system. If you are familiar with Canvas, the SkillsUSA LMS should be reasonably simple to use. The national organization will provide LMS help resources for advisors and students that encounter problems. The help contact information can be found on the ULSC page of our state website.
20. Tie-Breaker Procedure: In the event of a tie, the contest Technical Committee/Judges will choose 1-2 of the contest stations / requirements to break the tie. The student that scores higher on these stations will be declared the winner. The judges have been directed to share which stations will be used as tiebreakers with all contestants prior to the start of the contest.
21. Delegates: Any student who is an officially registered member may represent the school chapter as a delegate and attend the virtual delegate session. The date, time and login information will be provided soon.
22. 2021-2022 Officer Team Candidates: Advisors, please encourage interested students to run for a position on our state officer team. We need energetic young people to lead our student organization. Officer team candidates must be active, registered members of SkillsUSA to serve on this team. Any students interested in running for the 2021-2022 Student Officer team need to fill out and submit the online application, found on our state website, attend the virtual Officer Candidate Orientation/Interview (time, date and login information to be announced soon.) Accepted officer applicants will provide a campaign presentation during the virtual delegate session. Officers team members will be elected by student delegates and announced at the awards session of the state conference. Newly elected officers must login to a virtual orientation session with the officer team advisors. The date and time of this orientation session will be provided soon.
23. Official Contest Clothing Policy for 2021: The clothing requirements for the virtual state competition have changed. We will follow the same clothing policy as the national organization, which is: “Official SkillsUSA Competition Clothing recommended but NOT required. Contestant clothing options include the following: 1-Official Competition Clothing. 2-Trade Appropriate Clothing. 3-Professional Dress. 4-Business Casual. 5-Clothing must meet industry safety standards. 6-No identification of the contestant, school or state is allowed on clothing. 7-No offensive, vulgar or inappropriate images or text are allowed on contestants clothing. 8-No shorts or sleeveless shirts are allowed. 9-Skirts must be at least knee-length. 10-Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be worn by contestant to meet all state, local and school requirements due to COVID-19. 11-Scoring deductions may only be given and/or disqualification of contestant if clothing safety standards are not met”
24. Payment Deadline – Friday, March 12, 2021 is the Payment Deadline for the 2021 ULSC. Mail the check and a copy of the conference registration invoice to:
SkillsUSA Utah
Attn: Richard Wittwer
4318 West 1275 South
Cedar City, UT 84720
25. FOR BILLING QUESTIONS OR TO PAY VIA CREDIT CARD:
Contact Jennifer Streker - (801)540-4342 - strekerj@gmail.com
SPECIAL NOTE: There is a 3% Fee if you choose to pay your invoice via Credit Card
26. Drops/No Refund Deadline - Friday, March 12, 2021 is the final Drop/No Refund Deadline. Schools will not be issued a refund for any dropped contestants after this date.
27. Food service during competitions:
28. Students must provide their own food during all competitive events. School programs may provide food if the meals are individually pre-boxed and distributed following current pandemic guidelines, and only with the authorization of the school administration.
29. Membership & Conference Fees: All student membership fees must be paid to the SkillsUSA National Office before March 1st, 2021 to avoid a possible contest disqualification. All state conference contestant registration fees must be paid prior to participation at the state conference to avoid a possible contest disqualification.
30. Models: Models are not required to register as a state conference participant. Nail Care and Esthetics models and assistants in Action Skills, Principles of Technology, and Job Skill Demonstrations A and Open must be active SkillsUSA student members. Models and assistants are not required to be from the same school as the competitor. They are not considered
contestants and are not required to attend contestant orientation meetings. Since models and assistants are not involved in the written test and are not considered contestants, they are not eligible to receive medals. A certificate of participation will be provided upon request.
Finally, may I express gratitude to all our SkillsUSA student members and advisors. As a career CTE educator who has taught live and hybrid classes since last spring, I know the challenges and frustrations we have all experienced this past year. I am amazed at the number of students and advisors that have excelled in their skill and career development programs, despite these challenges. In addition, you have chosen to actively participate in our SkillsUSA activities. I am confident you will be rewarded for your dedication and service. Together we will make this a state conference and year to remember.
Best wishes,
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.com
435-590-8386
1. Wow! What a crazy year. I hope you are all safe and healthy. As we continue our path towards our totally virtual state conference, there are numerous procedural changes for our state conference this year. We will conduct each contest in such a way that allows every eligible student contestant an equal opportunity for success in a fair and equitable competition. The Technical Committees are preparing for quality competitions in a virtual environment. It goes without saying that these are challenging times, so your patience is appreciated.
2. State conference registration is closed. Only drops and qualified substitutions are allowed at this point. No additional state conference registrations will be allowed.
3. Membership registration is closed. While the national organization will still accept membership registrations and membership dues payments, students registered after March 1, 2021 are not eligible to compete at the state and national competition events.
4. Contestant qualification: Only students that are properly registered and paid members of SkillsUSA AND properly registered and paid state conference contestants will be allowed to compete. If one member of a “team” event cannot compete and there is not a properly registered member substitute, the whole team will likely be disqualified.
5. Substitute Policy: All substitutes must be properly registered student members of SkillsUSA from the same school chapter before March 1, 2021. To activate a substitute contestant, email the assistant to the state director, Savannah Costello at savannahwhitney1017@gmail.com and provide the following information:
A. First and Last Name, School, and Contest of the Contestant being Dropped
B. First and Last Name, School and Contest of the Contestant being used as a substitute.
6. SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Participation Agreement: Every SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference participant is required to download, read, sign, date and submit a completed SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference Participation Agreement to the drop box file, as instructed on the state website. Student contestants under the age of 18 are required to obtain a parent/guardian signature and date on this document. Participants that fail to submit a properly signed and dated Participation Agreement will be disqualified from participation in the state conference events.
7. SkillsUSA Utah COVID-19 Waiver: Every SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference participant is required to download, read, sign, date and submit a completed SkillsUSA Utah COVID-19 Waiver to the drop box file, as instructed on the state website. Student contestants under the age of 18 are required to obtain a parent/guardian signature and date on this document. Participants that fail to submit a properly signed and dated COVID-19 Waiver will be disqualified from participation in the state conference events.
8. SkillsUSA Fair Play Pledge: Every SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference participant is required to download, read, sign, date and submit a completed SkillsUSA Utah Fair Play Pledge to the drop box file, as instructed on the state website. There is a specific pledge for each participant category: Students, Advisor and Contest Proctor. Participants that fail to submit a properly signed and dated Fair Play Pledge will be disqualified from participation in the state conference events.
9. Resume’ Requirement: ALL contestants are required to submit/upload a professionally formatted resume to the SkillsUSA Utah LMS system, as instructed on the state website. Failure to submit a resume’ or if the resume’ does not have a “professional appearance”, will result in a 10-point deduction. This deduction will apply to every member of a team event that fails to submit an acceptable resume’. Upload details will be provided soon.
10. SkillsUSA Professional Development Program / SkillsUSA Knowledge Test: All student contestants are required to take this test as part of their state competition experience. Failure to take the test will result in a 10-point deduction. This deduction will apply to every member of a team event that fails to submit an acceptable resume’. Instructions and a study guide will be posted on the ULSC page of our state website.
11. Contests will be held at the individual schools. School advisors/administrators are responsible to ensure full compliance with all current pandemic policies and procedures, as identified in the COVID-19 Waiver document.
12. The Technical Committee members and judges from each contest will determine the exact contest requirements that may include but are not limited to: Contestants may be viewed and recorded via one or more webcams controlled by a contest proctor. Contestants may be required to submit an electronic portfolio or other contest documentation. Contestants may be required to submit a pre-recorded video file. Contestant may be required to complete an on-line exam, why being proctored by the designated contest proctor. Additional contest procedures may be used depending on the judge’s preferences.
13. Each host school advisor is responsible to identify and recruit one or more “proctors” to provide oversight of the local competitions and assist the contest judges as needed. It is preferred that these proctors be local business/industry professionals, possibly from your program advisory committee.
14. In keeping with national SkillsUSA policy and Utah State Board of Education directives, student contestants must demonstrate “skill proficiency” and score at or above the contest cut score on the official contest score card to earn a state conference medal. If the final score is high enough, as determined by the contest judges, a gold medal will be awarded, and the student or team of students will represent the State of Utah at the 2021 Virtual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference.
15. 2021 “General” State Conference Regulations document: All advisors and contestants must review this document prior to competing at the state conference event. These regulations closely mirror the national championship policies, procedures and regulations. A thorough understanding of these procedures will better prepare all Utah contestants for success at the state and national levels.
16. Contest Status Sheet (This is where you will find the contest dates and times.) This information is posted on the ULSC page of our state website. This information is subject to frequent changes, so check it often.
17. Contest Update Information (This is where you will find the latest contest information from the contest judges.) This information is posted on the ULSC page of our state website. This information is subject to frequent changes, so check it often.
18. Technical Standards: The Contest Technical Standards are your best resource for what to expect for each contest. Advisors can access the 2021 Technical Standards on the national website with a paid professional membership. 19. SkillsUSA LMS: To manage our state conference in a virtual environment, the national organization has provided an on line Learning Management System (LMS) like the Canvas LMS system. If you are familiar with Canvas, the SkillsUSA LMS should be reasonably simple to use. The national organization will provide LMS help resources for advisors and students that encounter problems. The help contact information can be found on the ULSC page of our state website.
20. Tie-Breaker Procedure: In the event of a tie, the contest Technical Committee/Judges will choose 1-2 of the contest stations / requirements to break the tie. The student that scores higher on these stations will be declared the winner. The judges have been directed to share which stations will be used as tiebreakers with all contestants prior to the start of the contest.
21. Delegates: Any student who is an officially registered member may represent the school chapter as a delegate and attend the virtual delegate session. The date, time and login information will be provided soon.
22. 2021-2022 Officer Team Candidates: Advisors, please encourage interested students to run for a position on our state officer team. We need energetic young people to lead our student organization. Officer team candidates must be active, registered members of SkillsUSA to serve on this team. Any students interested in running for the 2021-2022 Student Officer team need to fill out and submit the online application, found on our state website, attend the virtual Officer Candidate Orientation/Interview (time, date and login information to be announced soon.) Accepted officer applicants will provide a campaign presentation during the virtual delegate session. Officers team members will be elected by student delegates and announced at the awards session of the state conference. Newly elected officers must login to a virtual orientation session with the officer team advisors. The date and time of this orientation session will be provided soon.
23. Official Contest Clothing Policy for 2021: The clothing requirements for the virtual state competition have changed. We will follow the same clothing policy as the national organization, which is: “Official SkillsUSA Competition Clothing recommended but NOT required. Contestant clothing options include the following: 1-Official Competition Clothing. 2-Trade Appropriate Clothing. 3-Professional Dress. 4-Business Casual. 5-Clothing must meet industry safety standards. 6-No identification of the contestant, school or state is allowed on clothing. 7-No offensive, vulgar or inappropriate images or text are allowed on contestants clothing. 8-No shorts or sleeveless shirts are allowed. 9-Skirts must be at least knee-length. 10-Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must be worn by contestant to meet all state, local and school requirements due to COVID-19. 11-Scoring deductions may only be given and/or disqualification of contestant if clothing safety standards are not met”
24. Payment Deadline – Friday, March 12, 2021 is the Payment Deadline for the 2021 ULSC. Mail the check and a copy of the conference registration invoice to:
SkillsUSA Utah
Attn: Richard Wittwer
4318 West 1275 South
Cedar City, UT 84720
25. FOR BILLING QUESTIONS OR TO PAY VIA CREDIT CARD:
Contact Jennifer Streker - (801)540-4342 - strekerj@gmail.com
SPECIAL NOTE: There is a 3% Fee if you choose to pay your invoice via Credit Card
26. Drops/No Refund Deadline - Friday, March 12, 2021 is the final Drop/No Refund Deadline. Schools will not be issued a refund for any dropped contestants after this date.
27. Food service during competitions:
28. Students must provide their own food during all competitive events. School programs may provide food if the meals are individually pre-boxed and distributed following current pandemic guidelines, and only with the authorization of the school administration.
29. Membership & Conference Fees: All student membership fees must be paid to the SkillsUSA National Office before March 1st, 2021 to avoid a possible contest disqualification. All state conference contestant registration fees must be paid prior to participation at the state conference to avoid a possible contest disqualification.
30. Models: Models are not required to register as a state conference participant. Nail Care and Esthetics models and assistants in Action Skills, Principles of Technology, and Job Skill Demonstrations A and Open must be active SkillsUSA student members. Models and assistants are not required to be from the same school as the competitor. They are not considered
contestants and are not required to attend contestant orientation meetings. Since models and assistants are not involved in the written test and are not considered contestants, they are not eligible to receive medals. A certificate of participation will be provided upon request.
Finally, may I express gratitude to all our SkillsUSA student members and advisors. As a career CTE educator who has taught live and hybrid classes since last spring, I know the challenges and frustrations we have all experienced this past year. I am amazed at the number of students and advisors that have excelled in their skill and career development programs, despite these challenges. In addition, you have chosen to actively participate in our SkillsUSA activities. I am confident you will be rewarded for your dedication and service. Together we will make this a state conference and year to remember.
Best wishes,
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.com
435-590-8386
February 23, 2021
We have been informed that no in-person events will be allowed, regardless of age(post-secondary or secondary). In discussion with competition hosts and others, we determined that Culinary Arts & Commercial Baking would not convert well to a virtual format. As a result, we have canceled Culinary Arts & Commercial Baking competitions for this 2021 Utah Leadership and Skills Conference. Anyone registered for these contests will see an adjustment on their invoice. If you have already sent payment, we will be processing refunds for these contests.
The final date for conference registration will be Friday, February 26th at 12:00 AM MT. The final date for membership is also Friday February 26th, 2021. NO REGISTRATION OR MEMBERSHIP WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.
SkillsUSA Nationals has provided us with an LMS Hub that we will be using for our 2021 State Conference. This system runs a lot like Canvas, and each contest will be its own "course". Students will be enrolled to their contest on or around March 8th. Students will be able to submit their resume and take the professional development test on the LMS Hub. Some contests will require a pre-recorded video, digital portfolio, technical assessment, live zoom call, or live interview.
Please make sure as you are registering your students that in order to have students receive invitations to join the course, it is recommended that you provide personal student emails rather than school provided emails. If that is not possible, please ask advisors to have their school districts white list both nextthought.com and alerts.nextthought.com.
2021 Contest Status Sheet is partially available on our state website here listed under Important Files and Documents. I will update this as often as I can with more dates and times of each competition.
We have been informed that no in-person events will be allowed, regardless of age(post-secondary or secondary). In discussion with competition hosts and others, we determined that Culinary Arts & Commercial Baking would not convert well to a virtual format. As a result, we have canceled Culinary Arts & Commercial Baking competitions for this 2021 Utah Leadership and Skills Conference. Anyone registered for these contests will see an adjustment on their invoice. If you have already sent payment, we will be processing refunds for these contests.
The final date for conference registration will be Friday, February 26th at 12:00 AM MT. The final date for membership is also Friday February 26th, 2021. NO REGISTRATION OR MEMBERSHIP WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.
SkillsUSA Nationals has provided us with an LMS Hub that we will be using for our 2021 State Conference. This system runs a lot like Canvas, and each contest will be its own "course". Students will be enrolled to their contest on or around March 8th. Students will be able to submit their resume and take the professional development test on the LMS Hub. Some contests will require a pre-recorded video, digital portfolio, technical assessment, live zoom call, or live interview.
Please make sure as you are registering your students that in order to have students receive invitations to join the course, it is recommended that you provide personal student emails rather than school provided emails. If that is not possible, please ask advisors to have their school districts white list both nextthought.com and alerts.nextthought.com.
2021 Contest Status Sheet is partially available on our state website here listed under Important Files and Documents. I will update this as often as I can with more dates and times of each competition.
February 14, 2021
We have added a few new contests to our 2021 Contest List. Please see the updated list below. We have added Dental Assisting, Fire Fighting, First Aid/CPR, Medical Assisting, Medical Math, Medical Terminology, and Nurse Assisting.
We have added a few new contests to our 2021 Contest List. Please see the updated list below. We have added Dental Assisting, Fire Fighting, First Aid/CPR, Medical Assisting, Medical Math, Medical Terminology, and Nurse Assisting.
Please review the information preceding this update below.
A few upcoming deadlines to be aware of:
A few upcoming deadlines to be aware of:
- ULSC Registration Opens: Monday, January 25th, 2021
- Registration Costs: $30 per student and $15 per advisor
- Optional Add-on: 2021 SkillsUSA State T-Shirt $10. Please verify t-shirt sizes are correct on registration forms.
- State and National Membership Deadline: Monday, February 15th, 2021- PLEASE REGISTER EXTRA MEMBERS
- ULSC Registration Deadline: Friday, February 26th, 2021- NO CHANGES OR ADDITIONS AFTER THIS DATE
- Virtual Pre-Contest Meetings: March 8-12, 2021
- Virtual Contests: March 15-19, 22-26, and 29-31. (The exact date and time for each contest to be determined by specific contest committee/judges) Please check the contest status sheet FREQUENTLY. All contests will be complete by March 31.
February 2, 2021
We are toying with the idea of providing some webcams for a school that does not have other options. We do not know how many we will be able to provide to a school if they need some. Please look for other solutions when you can.
Advisors- please fill out the form below if you potentially be needing webcams. Please add your name, email, school, and approximately how many webcams you might need for this year.
Most competitions will require either 1 or 2 camera angles per contestant. We will not be running competitions at the same time and will be well spread out over about 2 1/2 weeks. Only a few contestants will be participating at once. Some contests while others might be pre-recorded or have a digital portfolio. Personal cell phones can be used for competitions and often provide the best results. Please look into renting cameras from your school if they provide the option, this might be an option if you have a video production program.
We are toying with the idea of providing some webcams for a school that does not have other options. We do not know how many we will be able to provide to a school if they need some. Please look for other solutions when you can.
Advisors- please fill out the form below if you potentially be needing webcams. Please add your name, email, school, and approximately how many webcams you might need for this year.
Most competitions will require either 1 or 2 camera angles per contestant. We will not be running competitions at the same time and will be well spread out over about 2 1/2 weeks. Only a few contestants will be participating at once. Some contests while others might be pre-recorded or have a digital portfolio. Personal cell phones can be used for competitions and often provide the best results. Please look into renting cameras from your school if they provide the option, this might be an option if you have a video production program.
INFORMATION ABOUT 2021 WELDING FABRICATION COMPETITION
Please see the document below for all information regarding how the Welding Fabrication Competition will be ran.
Please see the document below for all information regarding how the Welding Fabrication Competition will be ran.
February 1, 2021
We have added a few new contests for the 2021 Utah Leadership and Skills Conference. Please see the NEW Contest List below.
We have added a few new contests for the 2021 Utah Leadership and Skills Conference. Please see the NEW Contest List below.
Now accepting submissions for our 2021 State Directors Choice Conference T-Shirt Design Challenge. (This is NOT the T-Shirt Design competition to earn a medal). Find the submission page under Conferences & Events> SkillsUSA Utah NLSC T-Shirt Design Challenge.
A few upcoming deadlines to be aware of:
Are you interested in being a state officer for the 2021-2022 school year? You can submit an application if you go to About Us> Organization> Student Officer Team.
A few upcoming deadlines to be aware of:
- ULSC Registration Opens: Monday, January 25th, 2021
- Registration Costs: $30 per student and $15 per advisor
- Optional Add-on: 2021 SkillsUSA State T-Shirt $10. Please verify t-shirt sizes are correct on registration forms.
- State and National Membership Deadline: Monday, February 15th, 2021- PLEASE REGISTER EXTRA MEMBERS
- ULSC Registration Deadline: Friday, February 26th, 2021- NO CHANGES OR ADDITIONAS AFTER THIS DATE
- Virtual Pre-Contest Meetings: March 8-12, 2021
- Virtual Contests: March 15-19, 22-26, and 29-31. (The exact date and time for each contest to be determined by specific contest committee/judges) Please check the contest status sheet FREQUENTLY. All contests will be complete by March 31.
Are you interested in being a state officer for the 2021-2022 school year? You can submit an application if you go to About Us> Organization> Student Officer Team.
January 25, 2021
I have just a few updates to share with all of you tonight. Registration for our 2021 Utah Leadership and Skills Conference is now open! Registration will close Friday, February 26th, 2021. The membership deadline for State and National Membership is Monday, February 15th, 2021- PLEASE REGISTER EXTRA MEMBERS. We have changed the 2021 contest list just a little bit. Please view the newest 2021 Contest List below.
State Directors Choice T-Shirt Design/ 2021 Conference T-Shirt:
This is NOT the pin design or t-shirt design competition for a medal at the state conference.
We are now accepting designs for the State Director's Choice T-Shirt Design. Submissions needs to be submitted by midnight on Friday February 19th. You can submit a design under our Conferences and Events Page> SkillsUSA Utah- NLSC T-Shirt Design Challenge. Please reach out to Craig Milligan, craig.milligan@washk12.org, if you have any questions.
The winning design of the Director's Choice T-Shirt will be contacted and consulted with for the production of the official Utah SkillsUSA T-Shirt Design.
I have just a few updates to share with all of you tonight. Registration for our 2021 Utah Leadership and Skills Conference is now open! Registration will close Friday, February 26th, 2021. The membership deadline for State and National Membership is Monday, February 15th, 2021- PLEASE REGISTER EXTRA MEMBERS. We have changed the 2021 contest list just a little bit. Please view the newest 2021 Contest List below.
State Directors Choice T-Shirt Design/ 2021 Conference T-Shirt:
This is NOT the pin design or t-shirt design competition for a medal at the state conference.
We are now accepting designs for the State Director's Choice T-Shirt Design. Submissions needs to be submitted by midnight on Friday February 19th. You can submit a design under our Conferences and Events Page> SkillsUSA Utah- NLSC T-Shirt Design Challenge. Please reach out to Craig Milligan, craig.milligan@washk12.org, if you have any questions.
The winning design of the Director's Choice T-Shirt will be contacted and consulted with for the production of the official Utah SkillsUSA T-Shirt Design.
- Files must be a PDF format.
- Designs should be created using vector editing software.
- Fonts should be outlined, but also described somewhere on the document.
- Pantone colors or specific color mixes should be identified in the same way.
January 22, 2021
I first want to say thank you for your incredible patience as we finalize some details for our State Conference. We have narrowed down a list of contest we will be able to run in a virtual setting. You can view the 2021 contest list below. Please view our ULSC Page under Conferences & Events for more information and documents.
I first want to say thank you for your incredible patience as we finalize some details for our State Conference. We have narrowed down a list of contest we will be able to run in a virtual setting. You can view the 2021 contest list below. Please view our ULSC Page under Conferences & Events for more information and documents.
This list can and probably will change, so please bare with us and keep checking back often. I will be sending out many emails from here out and it will include any changes to the contest list. You will be able to make changes until registration is closed.
A few upcoming deadlines to be aware of:
We will be hosting our virtual pre-contest meetings and contests most likely in Zoom. We will be sending meeting information and passcodes to each contestant so PLEASE MAKE SURE STUDENT EMAIL IS CORRECT on registration forms.
We will be broadcasting our Awards Ceremony on or around April 15th. This will give us plenty of time to receive scorecards and ensure accurate scores and avoid any technical difficulties.
Additional details and advisor duties/responsibilities will be provided soon.
Thank you for your continued support of SkillsUSA Utah. We need all of your assistance in making this as great of a state conference as it would be in person.
A few upcoming deadlines to be aware of:
- ULSC Registration Opens: Monday, January 25th, 2021
- Registration Costs: $30 per student and $15 per advisor
- Optional Add-on: 2021 SkillsUSA State T-Shirt $10. Please verify t-shirt sizes are correct on registration forms.
- State and National Membership Deadline: Monday, February 15th, 2021- PLEASE REGISTER EXTRA MEMBERS
- ULSC Registration Deadline: Friday, February 19th, 2021
- ULSC LATE Registration Deadline: Friday, February 26th, 2021- NO CHANGES OR ADDITIONAS AFTER THIS DATE
- Virtual Pre-Contest Meetings: March 8-12, 2021
- Virtual Contests: March 15-19, 22-26, and 29-31. (The exact date and time for each contest to be determined by specific contest committee/judges) Please check the contest status sheet FREQUENTLY. All contests will be complete by March 31.
We will be hosting our virtual pre-contest meetings and contests most likely in Zoom. We will be sending meeting information and passcodes to each contestant so PLEASE MAKE SURE STUDENT EMAIL IS CORRECT on registration forms.
We will be broadcasting our Awards Ceremony on or around April 15th. This will give us plenty of time to receive scorecards and ensure accurate scores and avoid any technical difficulties.
Additional details and advisor duties/responsibilities will be provided soon.
Thank you for your continued support of SkillsUSA Utah. We need all of your assistance in making this as great of a state conference as it would be in person.
January 11,2021
SkillsUSA Utah State Directors Message, 1/11/21
(Please note: Most of this message was copied from a message sent earlier by Chelle Travis, our national SkillsUSA Executive Director. I changed some of the wording to make it apply to our state conference event.)
Upcoming deadlines
Utah Leadership and Skills Conference
Registration Opens: January 25th, 2021
State and National Membership Deadline: February 15th, 2021
Registration Deadline: February 19th, 2021
To All SkillsUSA Utah students, advisors, administrators, and industry partners,
I know that you've all been anticipating an official announcement on the status of our 2021 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference. I'm writing not just to share that decision, but also the reasoning behind it. In addition, I hope to provide you with as clear a picture as I can of what to expect from the 2021 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference, with the understanding that more specific details -- still being finalized -- will be announced in the days ahead.
With that in mind, the SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference will be held virtually in the spring of 2021.
While I know the first reaction to this news will be disappointment, I want to assure all of you that we WILL be holding an engaging and inspiring event you can all be proud of, including most of our traditional SkillsUSA Championships competitions. Although the medals and prizes our competitors receive may not be presented in person this year, those bronze, silver and gold medallions will be just as valuable and just as respected by industry as they've always been. They'll also be just as likely to lead students to life-changing educational and career opportunities.
Before I offer more details on the 2021 event, however, I'd like to go through some of the factors that led to our decision.
Number one on that list, as always, is the health and safety of our members and stakeholders. With so much still unclear as to when large face-to-face gatherings will be deemed safe and when the effects of the virus will finally subside, we could not in good conscience move forward with the planning of an in-person event bringing thousands of our members and stakeholders together from across the state.
Travel restrictions have also had a large effect on our decision. Most school districts and college institutions have eliminated day trip and overnight travel for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. If school delegations are unable to travel, they cannot participate in a state level in-person event, and our state conference cannot function without that participation.
The lack of our ability to adequately prepare for the event as a state staff has also been a crucial issue. Most of our traditional competition venues are not allowed to have large in-person events, and the current Utah Health Department restrictions would make it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to host in-person competitive events.
Since the national SkillsUSA leadership made the decision to move forward with a totally virtual event during the summer of 2021, it makes sense that we would do the same to give our students the opportunity to compete in a similar virtual environment and better prepare them for the virtual National Leadership and Skills Conference.
Finally, our business and industry partners are facing similar issues with travel restrictions and budgetary obstacles, and many have expressed concern that they will be unable to travel and participate in an in-person event in 2021. Most, however, remain committed to supporting and participating in the virtual events we're currently planning.
As this hopefully makes clear, an in-person state conference in 2021, as much as we all want it, is simply not a realistic option for SkillsUSA Utah. Making our decision now will enable all of us to focus on what IS possible, and to make those events as empowering, engaging and inspiring as we can.
We've learned much over the last few months, and we are working hard to create the best possible competitive experience for our students.
As for the SkillsUSA Utah competitions, we will be following the national SkillsUSA Championship Technical Standards. These guidelines have been revised for each competition to reflect the virtual nature of the event. All competitions will be judged -- and many will be conducted -- virtually. However, some will require localized areas where hands-on skills will be performed by competitors and overseen by an instructor and a proctor to ensure safety, quality and integrity in all competitions. These hands-on elements will also be documented, and that documentation will be shared with national judges as part of the virtual judging process. Details are still being finalized but rest assured: the skills of our competitors WILL be put to the test once again this year as they're judged against tough national standards. We WILL name state bronze, silver and gold medalists, and our partners -- as they have always done -- will be eager to meet and hire the best career and technical education students in the nation.
Our state staff and sector chairs are working hard to determine the official contest list and to determine exactly which competitions will be offered this year. There is significant effort required to set up virtual contest schedules and logistics. Look for more specific details in the days ahead.
On behalf of all of us on the state staff, thank you so much for all you've done and continue to do throughout this crisis to keep SkillsUSA vital and relevant in your schools. Thank you for showing the nation that not even a pandemic can stop us from accomplishing SkillsUSA's important mission in the lives of our students.
More information is coming soon. Stay safe and healthy.
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
SkillsUSA Utah State Directors Message, 1/11/21
(Please note: Most of this message was copied from a message sent earlier by Chelle Travis, our national SkillsUSA Executive Director. I changed some of the wording to make it apply to our state conference event.)
Upcoming deadlines
Utah Leadership and Skills Conference
Registration Opens: January 25th, 2021
State and National Membership Deadline: February 15th, 2021
Registration Deadline: February 19th, 2021
To All SkillsUSA Utah students, advisors, administrators, and industry partners,
I know that you've all been anticipating an official announcement on the status of our 2021 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference. I'm writing not just to share that decision, but also the reasoning behind it. In addition, I hope to provide you with as clear a picture as I can of what to expect from the 2021 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference, with the understanding that more specific details -- still being finalized -- will be announced in the days ahead.
With that in mind, the SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference will be held virtually in the spring of 2021.
While I know the first reaction to this news will be disappointment, I want to assure all of you that we WILL be holding an engaging and inspiring event you can all be proud of, including most of our traditional SkillsUSA Championships competitions. Although the medals and prizes our competitors receive may not be presented in person this year, those bronze, silver and gold medallions will be just as valuable and just as respected by industry as they've always been. They'll also be just as likely to lead students to life-changing educational and career opportunities.
Before I offer more details on the 2021 event, however, I'd like to go through some of the factors that led to our decision.
Number one on that list, as always, is the health and safety of our members and stakeholders. With so much still unclear as to when large face-to-face gatherings will be deemed safe and when the effects of the virus will finally subside, we could not in good conscience move forward with the planning of an in-person event bringing thousands of our members and stakeholders together from across the state.
Travel restrictions have also had a large effect on our decision. Most school districts and college institutions have eliminated day trip and overnight travel for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. If school delegations are unable to travel, they cannot participate in a state level in-person event, and our state conference cannot function without that participation.
The lack of our ability to adequately prepare for the event as a state staff has also been a crucial issue. Most of our traditional competition venues are not allowed to have large in-person events, and the current Utah Health Department restrictions would make it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to host in-person competitive events.
Since the national SkillsUSA leadership made the decision to move forward with a totally virtual event during the summer of 2021, it makes sense that we would do the same to give our students the opportunity to compete in a similar virtual environment and better prepare them for the virtual National Leadership and Skills Conference.
Finally, our business and industry partners are facing similar issues with travel restrictions and budgetary obstacles, and many have expressed concern that they will be unable to travel and participate in an in-person event in 2021. Most, however, remain committed to supporting and participating in the virtual events we're currently planning.
As this hopefully makes clear, an in-person state conference in 2021, as much as we all want it, is simply not a realistic option for SkillsUSA Utah. Making our decision now will enable all of us to focus on what IS possible, and to make those events as empowering, engaging and inspiring as we can.
We've learned much over the last few months, and we are working hard to create the best possible competitive experience for our students.
As for the SkillsUSA Utah competitions, we will be following the national SkillsUSA Championship Technical Standards. These guidelines have been revised for each competition to reflect the virtual nature of the event. All competitions will be judged -- and many will be conducted -- virtually. However, some will require localized areas where hands-on skills will be performed by competitors and overseen by an instructor and a proctor to ensure safety, quality and integrity in all competitions. These hands-on elements will also be documented, and that documentation will be shared with national judges as part of the virtual judging process. Details are still being finalized but rest assured: the skills of our competitors WILL be put to the test once again this year as they're judged against tough national standards. We WILL name state bronze, silver and gold medalists, and our partners -- as they have always done -- will be eager to meet and hire the best career and technical education students in the nation.
Our state staff and sector chairs are working hard to determine the official contest list and to determine exactly which competitions will be offered this year. There is significant effort required to set up virtual contest schedules and logistics. Look for more specific details in the days ahead.
On behalf of all of us on the state staff, thank you so much for all you've done and continue to do throughout this crisis to keep SkillsUSA vital and relevant in your schools. Thank you for showing the nation that not even a pandemic can stop us from accomplishing SkillsUSA's important mission in the lives of our students.
More information is coming soon. Stay safe and healthy.
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
November 9, 2020
This is a gentle reminder to login to the SkillsUSA Utah Fall Leadership Conference on Tuesday morning, November 10 no later than 9:40 am. We sincerely hope everyone has completed the pre-work that was assigned previously
To ensure your success at tomorrow’s conference, we want to cover a few things:
1. VFLC is delivered through SkillsUSA CONNECT and you must have an account to access it. If you do not have a CONNECT account, click below to learn how to create your account. Do this at least an hour before the conference starts to ensure you get access.
This is a gentle reminder to login to the SkillsUSA Utah Fall Leadership Conference on Tuesday morning, November 10 no later than 9:40 am. We sincerely hope everyone has completed the pre-work that was assigned previously
To ensure your success at tomorrow’s conference, we want to cover a few things:
1. VFLC is delivered through SkillsUSA CONNECT and you must have an account to access it. If you do not have a CONNECT account, click below to learn how to create your account. Do this at least an hour before the conference starts to ensure you get access.
2. You should have your own device to access the conference. Please join group sessions with your microphone muted and your camera on, ready to engage!
3. If you prefer, pre-download the VFLC Learning Journal and have it printed or ready in a tab for the conference to begin. You will need this for the Opening Session.
4. Ensure you are the SkillsUSA leader that we know you are – be respectful of the facilitator and fellow SkillsUSA members. Do this by behaving appropriately, fully engaging in the session, and being respectful of others. SkillsUSA has a zero-tolerance policy against inappropriate behavior. Inappropriate participants will be removed from the conference.
SkillsUSA Utah Fall Leadership Conference login steps:
Go to skillsusaconnect.org
Login using the username and password you used when you setup your account.
Click on "Events" at the top o the page.
Select "SkillsUSA Utah Fall Leadership Conference" from the dropdown menu under "Student Events."
If you have not already done so, click on "Going" on each of the conference events.
Click on each conference session prior to the start time for each session.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during these crazy times. We will "see" you at the conference!
3. If you prefer, pre-download the VFLC Learning Journal and have it printed or ready in a tab for the conference to begin. You will need this for the Opening Session.
4. Ensure you are the SkillsUSA leader that we know you are – be respectful of the facilitator and fellow SkillsUSA members. Do this by behaving appropriately, fully engaging in the session, and being respectful of others. SkillsUSA has a zero-tolerance policy against inappropriate behavior. Inappropriate participants will be removed from the conference.
SkillsUSA Utah Fall Leadership Conference login steps:
Go to skillsusaconnect.org
Login using the username and password you used when you setup your account.
Click on "Events" at the top o the page.
Select "SkillsUSA Utah Fall Leadership Conference" from the dropdown menu under "Student Events."
If you have not already done so, click on "Going" on each of the conference events.
Click on each conference session prior to the start time for each session.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during these crazy times. We will "see" you at the conference!
November 2nd, 2020
Our registration deadline for Fall Leadership Conference closed Friday October 30th, 2020. Thank you to everyone who registered and submitted registrations for this event. The payment deadline for Fall Leadership Conference is Friday, November 6th, 2020.
You can contact Jennifer Streker, Financial Advisor, if you would like to make a payment with a credit card or for any more finance questions.
Contact: (801)540-4342 or strekerj@gmail.com
*There is a 3% fee if you choose to pay your invoice via Credit Card.
Conference Pre-Work:
Step 1: Build Profile in SkillsUSA Connect, this is where the conference will be hosted. *(Make sure that the email being used for Connect is listed correctly on the registration form)
Step 2: Complete the Essential Element Assessment in SkillsUSA Connect.
Step 3: Complete SkillsUSA Framework Certification Module in SkillsUSA Absorb
Step 4: Complete SkillsUSA Stateman Quiz in SkillsUSA Absorb.
You can view the Registration Guides here:
Our registration deadline for Fall Leadership Conference closed Friday October 30th, 2020. Thank you to everyone who registered and submitted registrations for this event. The payment deadline for Fall Leadership Conference is Friday, November 6th, 2020.
You can contact Jennifer Streker, Financial Advisor, if you would like to make a payment with a credit card or for any more finance questions.
Contact: (801)540-4342 or strekerj@gmail.com
*There is a 3% fee if you choose to pay your invoice via Credit Card.
Conference Pre-Work:
Step 1: Build Profile in SkillsUSA Connect, this is where the conference will be hosted. *(Make sure that the email being used for Connect is listed correctly on the registration form)
Step 2: Complete the Essential Element Assessment in SkillsUSA Connect.
Step 3: Complete SkillsUSA Framework Certification Module in SkillsUSA Absorb
Step 4: Complete SkillsUSA Stateman Quiz in SkillsUSA Absorb.
You can view the Registration Guides here:
Stated in the Absorb Registration Guide "Shortly after registration closes, your students will be enrolled in SkillsUSA Absorb, SkillsUSA's learning management system. Steps 3 and 4 of pre-work are completed through SkillsUSA Absorb." You can view more information regarding this event under Conferences and Events > FLC- Fall Leadership Conference.
There is not an additional cost to access SkillsUSA Absorb to complete this pre-work. Career Essentials is another option for developing your chapter officers but is not required for the Fall Leadership Conference.
To be sure everything is completed for this event, please follow this checklist.
There is not an additional cost to access SkillsUSA Absorb to complete this pre-work. Career Essentials is another option for developing your chapter officers but is not required for the Fall Leadership Conference.
To be sure everything is completed for this event, please follow this checklist.
Last but not least, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you.
Savannah Whitney
Executive Assistant
savannahwhitney1017@gmail.com
385-212-4727
Savannah Whitney
Executive Assistant
savannahwhitney1017@gmail.com
385-212-4727