9/17/2020 MESSAGE

 
SkillsUSA Utah
State Directors Message for September 17, 2020
*Please share this message with your CTE colleagues throughout your school/district.
 
As we start a new school year, I would like to take a moment to recognize the amazing efforts of our SkillsUSA students and advisors during the past year.  While the pandemic caused frustrations and missed opportunities at state and national competitions, our students were still the beneficiaries of incredible career and technical training that will prove invaluable in their future endeavors.  Since change is about the only constant in our lives, we all need to strive to provide the best possible experiences for our Skilled and Technical Science CTE students in what has proven to be a very fluid environment.  SkillsUSA Utah is committed to doing everything in our power to make student career development experiences in SkillsUSA valuable and meaningful. 
 
SKILLSUSA UTAH GOALS FOR 2020-21:
1.  Strive to bring the SkillsUSA Utah organizational and management structure into full compliance with the National SkillsUSA State Standards of Excellence Level 1 Program Criteria by the end of the FY21 fiscal year.
2.  Encourage chapter advisors to make their SkillsUSA experience truly co-curricular and provide access to the necessary resources as they strive to fully integrate the SkillsUSA Program of Work in their individual CTE Skilled and Technical Science instructional programs.  
3.  Increase student full membership participation in all chapter, regional, state and national SkillsUSA activities and events through active marketing and recruitment activities.
4.  Increase involvement of business and industry partners at all levels of the SkillsUSA Utah organization and recognize their contributions with monthly promotional efforts on our state website.
5.  Increase the interactions of SkillsUSA Utah officer team members with local school officers and advisors through virtual meetings and social media posts.
6.  Improve communication to all stakeholders through monthly newsletters, messages and updates.
7.  Increase awareness of national SkillsUSA sponsored scholarships and grant opportunities through monthly messaging and social media posts.
8.  Provide professional development opportunities for education professionals using virtual meetings and through the development of an on-line SkillsUSA Utah new advisors course. 
9.  Encourage local chapter engagement with the SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program to recognize the exceptional efforts of our student members.
10.  Promote the new SkillsUSA Connect on-line system as the primary resource for information and support from the national SkillsUSA organization.
11.  Recruit 4 individuals from our business and industry partners to serve on our SkillsUSA Utah Board of Directors, to ensure that we maintain current, industry-based guidance as we improve the services we provide to our students and advisors.
 
To assist our school/chapter officers and advisors as they plan and prepare for the state level events, please review all the information and action items listed below:
 
2020-2021 EVENTS & DEADLINES CALENDAR 
SkillsUSA Utah’s Calendar is now available on our STATE WEBSITE (www.utahskillsusa.org) under ‘Important Upcoming Events and Deadlines’ on the Home Page.  It will also be available on the ULSC Page and the NLSC Page when those pages are launched before the corresponding events.
 
UTAH LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE (ULTI)
Our traditional in-person Utah Leadership Training Institute for school student officers will be held virtually, with significant assistance from the national SkillsUSA organization.  This will be a one-day event, held on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 pm, mountain standard time.  The registration cost will be $10 per student.  Every student will need access to an individual computer.  The registration procedures and deadlines will be published as soon as we can get the registration site set up.  I encourage all school level SkillsUSA officers to participate in this valuable leadership training / professional development event.  Your school student officers will learn about essential resources and information to direct your local school members through a productive and rewarding year in the SkillsUSA organization.
 
SKILLSUSA UTAH STATE LEADERSHIP AND SKILLS CONFERENCE (SLSC)
We are moving forward with plans for an in-person SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference on March 25-26, 2021 at Salt Lake Community College, complete with a full awards program.  Put this date on your calendar.  More details will be provided in the future.
 
SKILLSUSA NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SKILLS CONFERENCE (NLSC)
The national SkillsUSA organization is proceeding with plans for an in-person SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on June 21-26, 2021.  The state directors are scheduled to attend an in-person visit to Atlanta in January.  Our Utah hotel has already been assigned (connected to the conference center! No buses! Woooo Hoooo!) and we are anticipating initial airline reservations to be completed in December.
 
SKILLSUSA UTAH STATE WEBSITE AND NATIONAL WEBSITE:
·  SKILLSUSA UTAH WEBSITE: Check out our SkillsUSA Utah website at http://www.utahskillsusa.org/  
o  We will constantly be editing and updating as needed so check it OFTEN.  We have many website pages with important information about ULTI, State Conference, National Conference, Advisors, Cluster Chairs, Technical Committee Members, Ed Team Leaders, Business/Industry Partners, etc.
o  This website is for INFORMATION ONLY.  It will provide up-to-date information, instructions, and calendar dates for all our SkillsUSA Utah events. 
 
·  SKILLSUSA NATIONAL WEBSITE: FOR MEMBERSHIP AND EVENT REGISTRATION: 
Registration for ALL SkillsUSA Utah membership and events must be completed on the SkillsUSA National Website at www.skillsusa.org.  
o  When completing the membership registration process, we request that participants provide an accurate cell phone number, an accurate email address, accurate home mailing addresses for students (required for prize delivery) and accurate school mailing addresses for advisors. We are anxious to communicate as much as possible with all of you, but we can only do so with ACCURATE INFORMATION.
§  Cell phone numbers will only be used for extremely rare official SkillsUSA communication from the State Director and WILL NOT be shared with third parties.
 
2020-21 SKILLSUSA MEMBERSHIP DUES: 
Dues: (per person)    National dues  State dues  Total dues
Secondary (high school) student:  $  8.00  $  8.00  $16.00
Secondary (high school) instructor/professional    $20.00    $10.00  $30.00
 
Post-secondary (college) student    $8.00    $8.00  $16.00
Post-secondary (college) instructor/professional    $20.00    $10.00  $30.00
 
Special note #1 for Advisors: Paid professional membership dues include free on-line access to the 2020-2021 National Contest Technical Standards.  These “Technical Standards” will provide you the absolute best information as you prepare for the State and National Level Competitions.
 
Special note #2: All national and state membership dues are paid to the National SkillsUSA office.  
 
SKILLSUSA UTAH CONTACT INFORMATION:
·  Mailing address: The street mailing address for all SkillsUSA Utah correspondence is:
SkillsUSA Utah
Attn: Richard Wittwer
4318 West 1275 South
Cedar City, Utah 84720
Please use this address when mailing checks, invoices and correspondence to SkillsUSA Utah. Make sure your accounting office is aware of this address. 
·  Email Addresses & Phone Numbers
Richard Wittwer, State Director
*Please keep in mind I teach full time in addition to my State Director’s duties and will get back to you asap.
Cell Phone: 435-590-8386
STECH Office Phone: 435-867-3938
E-mail: skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.com
 
Savannah Whitney, Assistant to the State Director
E-mail: Savannahwhitney1017@gmail.com (E-mail is preferred and will receive a quicker response)
Phone: (385) 212-4727 
 
 
 
Student Officer Team
E-mail: stateofficers@utahskillsusa.org
 
·  PLEASE ENSURE ALL SCHOOL AND DISTRICT FIREWALLS ARE CONFIGURED TO ALLOW EMAILS FROM THESE EMAIL ACCOUNTS.  WE WANT TO ENSURE EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF RECEIVING EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHEN NEEDED!
 
SKILLSUSA COMPETITION THEME FOR  2020-21:
The SkillsUSA competition theme for the 2020-21 school year is: SkillsUSA: Champions at Work, Empowered to Succeed.  This theme is to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions.
 
SKILLSUSA CHAPTER EXCELLENCE PROGRAM (CEP):
The national SkillsUSA organization has developed an amazing program to recognize SkillsUSA chapters that are providing excellent skill training, personal development, professional development, service activities and fun social activities for students. We strongly encourage students and advisors to review the chapter recognition opportunities provided by the Chapter Excellence Program and encourage your full participation in the program.  Additional information and applications for the CEP can be accessed at the following link on the National Website: https://www.skillsusa.org/programs/chapter-excellence-program/
 
While participation in a CTSO is required for all CTE programs in the state of Utah, participation in the SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program at any level is voluntary.  We encourage all Utah school SkillsUSA chapters to consider working towards the “Quality Chapter” Level 1 recognition, or a higher level of recognition if you have the time and resources to do so.  
 
The CEP application and documentation must be sent to the state director no later than March 1, 2021.
 
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions, concerns or feedback.  Working together, we can provide exceptional experiences for our students.  I wish you all the best for a wonderful year.
 
Warmest regards,
 
Richard Wittwer
SkillsUSA Utah State Director
skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.org
435-590-8386 (cell)
435-865-3938 (office)
4318 West 1275 South, Cedar City, Utah 84720
 
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