5/20/2019 MESSAGE

SkillsUSA Utah
State Director’s Message for May 20, 2019
 
Greetings! Time has really flown by and we are getting close to our national conference in Louisville, Kentucky.  Most of the conference preparations have been completed, including:
 

• The airline ticketing process is finalized and paid. (Just for fun, multiply $695 X 230 participants.)
• The hotel room assignments are nearing completion. (Just received the last school rooming request.)
• The conference registrations are finalized.
• The passes for Churchill Downs have been purchased for those that would like to watch the horse races
• Our Utah t-shirts and trading pins have been ordered.
• The equipment trailer has been reserved and a driver identified. (Tool drop off details coming soon.)

 
When you see a member of the SkillsUSA Utah state staff at the national conference, be sure to thank them for their significant conference preparation efforts.
 
Here are a few National Conference Reminders/Items: (Advisors please forward this message to all your student contestants!)
 
Flight Information:
The airline flight groups have been organized.  We have 7 flight groups leaving out of Salt Lake City International Airport on Monday, June 24th.  We have booked both Southwest and United airline flights to transport more than 230 participants to Louisville.  The flight itineraries and airport instructions for each flight group are posted on our state website on the national conference page.  Participant schools are listed on the bottom of their respective flight color group page.
 
Flight Groups are as follows:
 
SOUTHWEST

• BLUE GROUP:
  • Davis Tech
  • Lehi High School
  • Lone Peak High School
  • Mountainland Tech
  • Ogden-Weber Tech
  • Orem High School
  • Salt Lake Community College
  • Skyridge High School
• GREEN GROUP:
  • Ben Lomond
  • Ogden High
  • Utah Valley University
• ORANGE GROUP:
  • Uintah Basin Tech – Roosevelt
  • Uintah Basin Tech – Vernal
• PINK GROUP:
  • Timpview High School
  • USU Eastern
• WHITE GROUP:
  • Canyon View High School
  • Granite Tech
  • Murray
  • Parowan
  • Kearns
  • Southern Utah University

 
UNITED AIRLINES

• PURPLE GROUP:
  • Canyons Technical Education Center
  • Copper Hills High School
  • JATC North
  • JATC South
  • Riverton High School
  • Wasatch High School
• YELLOW GROUP:
  • Tooele Community Learning Center
  • Tooele High School

 
Hotel:
We are staying at the Radisson Hotel Conference Center Louisville North, 505 Marriott Drive, Clarksville, Indiana 47129.  This is the same hotel as last year.  I know it says Indiana in the address.  This hotel is right across the Ohio river from Louisville and is close to the Kentucky Expo Center (KEC).  The hotel people have been amazing, and they are anxious to make our conference stay a memorable one.
 
Contest Updates:
I hope all students and advisors have been checking the national website conference page for Contest Updates.  Most competitions will have at least one update listed with contest details and instructions.

• The link to the Contest Updates page on the National Website is: https://www.skillsusa.org/competitions/skillsusa-championships/contest-updates/ OR
• You can to go the NLSC page on our STATE website and scroll down and click the Red Button under ‘NLSC Contest Updates’: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/nlsc---national-leadership--skills-competition.html

 
Contest Clothing:
Every student competitor must wear the appropriate competition clothing during their national contest events.  Many competitions require this official clothing at the pre-contest orientation meeting too.  Every student must wear their competition clothing to the pre-contest meeting, just to be safe and to make sure they have everything.  If you do not have the proper official clothing, you will not win a medal at the national conference.
 

• OFFICIAL CLOTHING SCORING RUBRIC:
  • A copy of the official clothing scoring rubric that will be used in every contest to score contestant clothing is available on our state website at the following link:  https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/clothing_assessment_nlsc_2018.pdf  OR
  • Going to the NLSC Page on our STATE website and clicking the ‘NLSC Clothing Rubric’ button under the ‘Contest Clothing Scoring Rubric’ Section.

 
Resume’:
Every student competitor must have a printed professional resume’ to turn in at the pre-contest meeting.  Failure to submit a resume’ will result in a deduction of points.
 
Equipment Trailer: (More details coming soon.)

• A signed liability release form must be submitted for every individual/school placing items in the equipment trailer. 

 
Professional Development Test:
All contestants are required to take the “SkillsUSA Professional Development test.”  A Professional Development Test study guide, blank practice test, and practice test with answers is available for download from our state website on the national conference page under the ‘Professional Development Test’ Section: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/nlsc---national-leadership--skills-competition.html.
 
Please review the information in the study guide, because the national PD test will not be the same as the practice test. 
 
We will be administering the test on Tuesday Morning (June 25th) during our Continental Breakfast from 6:30am – 8:30am in the Banquet Room at the Radisson Hotel.

• If contestants have meetings or other obligations during that time, they need to come to headquarters at a different time ON TUESDAY (June 25th) and take the test.

 
National Officer Candidate:
Brandon Schroeder, a past state officer who is currently enrolled at the University of Utah is running for a college/post-secondary national officer position.  When his official campaign begins at the national conference, we all need to provide support for this amazing young man.  He will be a fantastic national officer.
 
National Conference Program/Agenda/Schedule:
All participants will be notified when the 2019 official national conference program app is available.
 
FINAL REMARKS
Thank you all for your efforts and dedication to prepare for this national competition event.  Remember, we are going to Louisville for one purpose: “To provide the students an opportunity to test their skills at the highest level of national competition.”  We expect every student to prepare and perform at their maximum ability, and to avoid all distractions. We expect every advisor and guest to support the students in this effort. We will graciously accept the results, whatever they are.  I truly appreciate all that you do!
 
Warm regards,
 
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director