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
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I have listed several items for your consideration as you prepare for our SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference (ULSC). Please read ALL of the information CAREFULLY to avoid any confusion or miscommunication and let us know if you have any questions. Please note, the capitalization, font color, and highlights are just to draw attention to specific information, it is not intended to come across as aggressive language.
SkillsUSA Membership RegistrationEVERY STUDENT COMPETITOR MUST BE REGISTERED AND PAID AS A NATIONAL MEMBER OF SKILLSUSA ON OR BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY 15, 2019 OR THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE IN THE STATE COMPETITION.
While many advisors have already submitted a membership roster of students and advisors from their school, it may be necessary to add new student / professional members, so it is appropriate for us to share the membership registration procedures links) one more time.
SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference: WHEN: Thursday and Friday, March 28th-29th, 2019 WHERE: Salt Lake Community College, Taylorsville/Redwood Campus, 4700 South Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, UT BUSSES & TRANSPORTAION CANCELLED FOR 2019 Due to the very high cost to provide shuttle buses and drivers during the state conference and the extremely low number of riders on the buses during the last two state conference events, the decision has been made to discontinue provided bus transportation service to all contests and events, effective immediately. Individual districts and/or schools must make the necessary arrangements to transport their students to and from all venues, contest sites and activities during the 2019 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference. CONTEST STATUS SHEET The list of state conference contests and the proposed contest sites as presently constituted are available on the our State SkillsUSA Utah website (www.utahskillsusa.org) by:
CONTEST FEES: Some state level contests have special contest fees assessed to participants to help offset the cost of contest materials and supplies. This list of contests and the associated fees can be found on the Utah state website by:
‘GENERAL’ STATE CONFERENCE AGENDA: We are finishing up some last-minute details with the agenda this year, and will be sending it out and posting it to the website ASAP. Some confirmed/discussed changes are as follows:
THEME: The SkillsUSA competition theme for the 2018-19 year is: SkillsUSA: Champions at Work, Career-Ready Starts Here. The SkillsUSA competition theme is used throughout the year as the topic to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions at local, state and national levels. The topic to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions is how our theme, “SkillsUSA: Champions at Work, Career-Ready Starts Here,” addresses the SkillsUSA program of work in the area of professional development.
CONTEST UPDATES: To view contest updates, you can:
All Contest Updates for the 2019 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Competition will be posted through this Page. On the right side of the page you can sign up to receive emails whenever a Contest is Updated. This will sign you up to receive emails for ALL contests. There is not a way to subscribe to a specific contest. If you do not want to receive emails, just check the page on your own, and often. To view updates, click on the name of a specific contest from the alphabetized list on the right side of the webpage to view updates for that contest. STATE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION: Due to an unusually high number of student disqualifications in previous years from a lack of National Membership Registration plus a significant number of membership registrations that were submitted after the state membership deadline, major changes have been made to the 2019 State Conference Deadline calendar and a Financial Penalty has been added for late registrations. With the New State Conference Registration System we implemented last year on the National SkillsUSA website, student contestants MUST BE REGISTERED, SUBMITTED members of SkillsUSA BEFORE they will be able to register for any contest at the State Competition. The 2018 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference registration costs and deadlines are as follows:
REGISTRATION PROCEDURE: The ULSC Registration procedure is the same system that we have used the last couple of years. The Walk-through for Contest Registration Procedures can be found on our State Website (www.utahskillsusa.org) by:
MODELS: Models ARE required to be PAID, STUDENT MEMBERS of SkillsUSA BEFORE the February 15th Deadline, but will not be required to register for contests this year. ALTERNATES:
She will make the substitution for you through the Conference Management System, and send a confirmation email when it is completed. Invoices and Billing for SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference: BILLING QUESTIONS/TO PAY VIA CREDIT CARD:
Please mail all payments/invoices and correspondence to: SkillsUSA Utah Attn: Richard Wittwer 4318 West 1275 South Cedar City, Utah 84720 ***PLEASE INCLUDE A COPY OF YOUR SCHOOL’S INVOICE(S) FOR ULSC WITH YOURCHECK OR PURCHASE ORDER TO ENSURE PROPER RECORDS/DEPOSITS/PAYMENTS ARE COMPLETED. SkillsUSA Knowledge TestThe “traditional” SkillsUSA Knowledge / Professional Development Test will not be required this year. We will follow the national conference procedure where all ties will be broken by the individual contest Technical Committee using one or more of the contest stations/scoring areas. Contest Clothing There are specific clothing requirements for each contest at both the state and national conferences. Specific contest clothing requirements can be found in the 2018-19 National Leadership and Skills Conference Technical Standards. All student contestants must be wearing the specified clothing during state conference competition events to avoid a clothing penalty. Advisors, please make arrangements to obtain the appropriate clothing from the SkillsUSA Store, located on the national SkillsUSA website. 2018-2019 Technical StandardsAccess to the Technical Standards is provided to every SkillsUSA advisor with a Paid Professional Membership Registration through the National Website. Advisors can access the Technical Standards by following the instructions provided by:
Chapter Excellence Program (CEP)The national SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program or CEP is a voluntary recognition program designed to recognize the many wonderful local SkillsUSA students/chapters that excel in community service, professional development and career preparation activities.
Utah National Conference Pin and T-Shirt Design ChallengeAdvisor’s, please encourage your registered SkillsUSA students to submit designs for the Utah state pin and Utah state t-shirt that will be worn by all Utah participants at the national conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The designs should feature something unique about our great state and must include the phrase “SkillsUSA Utah 2019.”
State Officer CandidatesAdvisors, if you have dedicated and energetic SkillsUSA student members at your school that love the SkillsUSA organization and are looking to move to the next level of service, please have them consider running for a position on our state officer team during our upcoming state conference event. We need additional high school and college level student officers to lead this student organization. The application can be found on our State Website (www.utahskillsusa.org) by:
FINAL REMARKSI know this is a lot to take in, and even more to implement in the last two months before the membership/state conference registration deadlines. Advisors, thank you so much for your dedicated service as educators and SkillsUSA advisors. Warm regards, Richard Wittwer SkillsUSA Utah State Director SkillsUSA Utah
State Directors Message for August 24, 2018 *Please forward/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. I want to congratulate every student that represented our great state during the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, last June. Once again, our students proved that they are among the finest skilled and technical science young professionals in the country. I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize the contributions of the CTE professionals that trained and prepared our young people, and the administrators that provided significant support for our national competitors. Allow me to share some of the results of the national competition: 16 gold medals awarded, 12 silver medals awarded, 15 bronze medals awarded, 16 fourth place competitors, and 17 fifth place competitors. There were 43 individual medals awarded to Utah contestants. Utah ranked 8th in medals awarded among 52 states and US territories. Congratulations for a job well done! 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: 2018-2019 EVENTS & DEADLINES CALENDAR SkillsUSA Utah’s Calendar is now available on our STATE WEBSITE (www.utahskillsusa.org) under ‘Important Files & Documents’ on the Home Page OR the Advisor Page OR the ULTI Page. It will also be available on the ULSC Page and the NLSC Page when those pages are launched before the corresponding events. SKILLSUSA UTAH STATE WEBSITE AND NATIONAL WEBSITE:
ADVISOR ACTION ITEM: UTAH LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE (ULTI): Our new state officer team is energized and prepared to lead our organization this year. They, along with the state staff have been diligently preparing for numerous fall activities, starting with the Utah Leadership Training Institute that will be held Tuesday, October 10th at the Utah Valley University Student Center in Orem, Utah. I encourage all advisors and their school level SkillsUSA officers to attend this valuable leadership training / professional development event. Your school student officers will return with resources, information and enthusiasm to direct your local school members through a productive and rewarding year in the SkillsUSA organization.
2018-19 SKILLSUSA MEMBERSHIP DUES: (Dues are unchanged from the previous year.) 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: Paid professional membership dues will include free on-line access to the 2018-2019 National Technical Standards AND the 29 SkillsUSA Framework Career Essential lesson plans. Special note #2: All national and state dues are paid to the National SkillsUSA office. Additional membership registration information will be provided at the ULTI event. 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 Office Phone: 435-867-3938 E-mail: skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.com Angelee (Angie) Day, Assistant to the State Director OFFICE HOURS:
E-mail: angelee.day@gmail.com (E-mail is preferred and will receive a quicker response) Student Officer Team E-mail: stateofficers@utahskillsusa.org
NEW OFFICER TEAM ADVISORS: We are pleased to announce that Patrick Thompson, a former SkillsUSA National Officer and Curt Crofts, from Dixie Technical College have joined the SkillsUSA Utah State Staff. Their primary responsibility is to train, support and manage the Utah State Officer Team. We are fortunate to have these two gentlemen serving in our SkillsUSA Utah organization. SKILLSUSA COMPETITION THEME FOR 2018-19: The SkillsUSA competition theme for the 2018-19 school year is: SkillsUSA: Champions at Work: Career-Ready Starts Here. This theme is to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions. SKILLSUSA CHAPTER EXCELLENCE PROGRAM: 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 consider your full participation in the program. Additional information and applications for the CEP can be accessed at the following link on the National Website: http://www.skillsusa.org/programs/chapter-excellence-program/ Participation in the Chapter Excellence Program at any level is purely voluntary, but we encourage all Utah 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 application and documentation must be sent to the state director no later than February 18, 2018. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions, concerns or feedback. I wish you all the very 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 SkillsUSA Utah
State Director’s Message for June 18, 2018 Greetings! Time has really flown by and we are under two weeks from our national conference in Louisville, Kentucky. All conference preparations have been completed including:
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!) 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, but newly remodeled and rebranded. 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.
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. I strongly recommend that every student wear their competition clothing to the pre-contest meeting, just to be safe. If you do not have the proper clothing, you will not win a medal at the national conference.
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:
National Officer Candidate: Kyler Kelsch, a past state officer who is currently enrolled at Dixie State University 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. Condensed Conference Agenda: A simplified/condensed national conference agenda can be found at: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/2018_nlsc_condensed_agenda.pdf *Please review this agenda as it has some specific items for all Utah participants. 2018 NLSC Program:
It is critical that every student find their contest information in the program. The contests are listed alphabetically and indicate every meeting and contest event, location and time. Plan to leave the hotel 45 minutes to 1 hour before each meeting/event to make sure you arrive on time. Knowledge Test (AKA: Professional Development/Tie Breaker Test) All contestants are required to take the ‘Knowledge Test’. We will be administering the test on Tuesday Morning (June 26th) during our Continental Breakfast (Paid for by SkillsUSA Utah) from 6:30am – 8:30am in our reserved 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 26th) and make arrangements to take it. Seating Map for Opening Ceremonies and Closing Ceremonies/Awards Program: The map which indicates the location of seating for the Utah delegation during the Opening General Session and the Awards Program is available on our state website at:
Parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC): Every person driving a personal vehicle or rental vehicle that enters the KEC parking areas will be required to pay a parking fee. A copy of the KEC parking policy and parking fee amounts can be found on our state website at: https://www.utahskillsusa.org/uploads/8/1/2/7/81273014/parking_nlsc_2018.pdf 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 SkillsUSA Utah
State Directors Message for March 21, 2018 Please read the following list of VERY important ‘Friendly Reminders’ and Updates about our Upcoming Utah Leadership and Skills Conference (Also known as ‘State Competition’ and ULSC)
Improper pants -10 Improper shoes -10 Improper jacket (when required) -10 No tie / improper tie (when required) -5 Improper socks / nylons -5 Unauthorized clothing (hats, vests, etc.) -5 Offensive Tattoo that is not covered -5
Special thanks to all our advisors! We truly appreciate your hard work and dedication. Warm Regards, Richard Wittwer SkillsUSA Utah State Director skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.com 435-590-8386 Happy New Year. I have listed several items for your consideration as you continue your preparations for our SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference (ULSC). Please read ALL of the information CAREFULLY to avoid any confusion or miscommunication and let us know if you have any questions.
Advisor action item: SkillsUSA Membership Registration (change links)EVERY STUDENT COMPETITOR MUST BE REGISTERED AND PAID AS A NATIONAL MEMBER OF SKILLSUSA ON OR BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY 23, 2018 OR THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE IN THE STATE COMPETITION.
While many advisors have already submitted a membership roster of students and advisors from their school, it may be necessary to add new student / professional members, so it is appropriate for us to share the membership registration procedures links) one more time.
SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference: WHEN: Thursday and Friday, April 12th -13th, 2018 WHERE: Salt Lake Community College, Taylorsville/Redwood Campus, 4700 South Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, Utah BUSSES & TRANSPORTAION CANCELLED FOR 2018 Due to the very high cost to provide shuttle buses and drivers during the state conference and the extremely low number of riders on the buses during the last two state conference events, the decision has been made to discontinue provided bus transportation service to all contests and events, effective immediately. Individual districts and/or schools must make the necessary arrangements to transport their students to and from all venues, contest sites and activities during the 2018 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference. CONTEST STATUS SHEET The list of state conference contests and the proposed contest sites as presently constituted are available on the our State SkillsUSA Utah website (www.utahskillsusa.org) by:
CONTEST FEES: Some state level contests have special contest fees assessed to participants to help offset the cost of contest materials and supplies. This list of contests and the associated fees can be found on the Utah state website by:
‘GENERAL’ STATE CONFERENCE AGENDA We are finishing up some last-minute details with the agenda this year, and will be sending it out and posting it to the website ASAP. Some confirmed/discussed changes are as follows:
Theme: The SkillsUSA competition theme for the 2017-18 year is: SkillsUSA: Champions at Work, Job-Ready Day One The SkillsUSA competition theme is used throughout the year as the topic to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions at local, state and national levels. The topic to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions is how our theme, “SkillsUSA: Champions at Work, Job-Ready Day One,” addresses the SkillsUSA program of work in the area of professional development.
Contest Updates: To view contest updates you can:
All Contest Updates for the 2018 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Competition will be posted through this Page. On the right side of the page you can sign up to receive emails whenever a Contest is Updated. This will sign you up to receive emails for ALL contests. There is not a way to subscribe to a specific contest. If you do not want to receive emails, just check the page on your own, and often. To view updates, click on the name of a specific contest from the alphabetized list on the right side of the webpage to view updates for that contest. State Conference Registration: Due to an unusually high number of student disqualifications in previous years from a lack of National Membership Registration plus a significant number of membership registrations that were submitted after the state membership deadline, major changes have been made to the 2018 State Conference Deadline calendar and a Financial Penalty has been added for late registrations. With the New State Conference Registration System we implemented last year on the National SkillsUSA website, student contestants MUST BE REGISTERED, SUBMITTED members of SkillsUSA BEFORE they will be able to register for any contest at the State Competition. The 2018 SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference registration costs and deadlines are as follows:
Registration Procedure for SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference: The ULSC Registration procedure is the same system that was introduced last year. The Walk-through for Contest Registration Procedures can be found on our State Website (www.utahskillsusa.org) by:
*MODELS: Models will not be required to register for contests this year. Contestants that need a model will need to remember to bring someone with them. It is preferred that the model be a Member of SkillsUSA, but it is not required. *ALTERNATES: Alternates will be utilized differently this year.
She will make the substitution for you through the conference registration website, and send a confirmation email when it is completed. Invoices and Billing for SkillsUSA Utah Leadership and Skills Conference: BILLING QUESTIONS/TO PAY VIA CREDIT CARD:
Please mail all payments/invoices and correspondence to: SkillsUSA Utah Attn: Richard Wittwer 4318 West 1275 South Cedar City, Utah 84720 ***PLEASE INCLUDE A COPY OF YOUR SCHOOL’S INVOICE(S) FOR ULSC WITH YOURCHECK OR PURCHASE ORDER TO ENSURE PROPER RECORDS/DEPOSITS/PAYMENTS ARE COMPLETED. Advisor Action Item: SkillsUSA Knowledge TestThe SkillsUSA knowledge test for all student contestants will be administered on-line prior to the state conference event. The test will be available March 5th – April 10th through an on-line testing website, so accurate student names and email addresses are critical to enable students to log-in and take the knowledge test. Details will be forthcoming in the near future. Advisor Action Item: Contest Clothing There are specific clothing requirements for each contest at both the state and national conferences. Specific contest clothing requirements can be found in the 2017-18 National Leadership and Skills Conference Technical Standards. All student contestants must be wearing the specified clothing during state conference competition events to avoid a clothing penalty. Advisors, please make arrangements to obtain the appropriate clothing from the SkillsUSA Store, located on the national SkillsUSA website. 2017-2018 Technical StandardsAccess to the Technical Standards is provided to every SkillsUSA advisor with a Paid Professional Membership Registration through the National Website. Advisors can access the Technical Standards by following the instructions provided by:
Advisor Action Item: Chapter Excellence Program (CEP)The national SkillsUSA Chapter Excellence Program or CEP is a voluntary recognition program designed to recognize the many wonderful local SkillsUSA students/chapters that excel in community service, professional development and career preparation activities.
Advisor Action Item: Utah National Conference Pin and T-Shirt Design requestAdvisor’s, please encourage your registered SkillsUSA students to submit designs for the Utah state pin and Utah state t-shirt that will be worn by all Utah participants at the national conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The designs should feature something unique about our great state and must include the phrase “SkillsUSA Utah 2018.”
DUE DATE AND WHERE TO SUBMIT WILL BE DETERMINED ASAP! WE WILL POST ON WEBSITE AND SEND OUT AND UPDATE WHEN AVAILABLE! Advisor Action Item: State Officer CandidatesAdvisors, if you have dedicated and energetic SkillsUSA student members at your school that love the SkillsUSA organization and are looking to move to the next level of service, please have them consider running for a position on our state officer team during our upcoming state conference event. We need additional high school and college level student officers to lead this student organization. The application can be found on our State Website (www.utahskillsusa.org) by:
FINAL REMARKSI know this is a lot to take in, and even more to implement in the last two months before the membership/state conference registration deadlines. Advisors, thank you so much for your dedicated service as educators and SkillsUSA advisors. Warm regards, Richard Wittwer SkillsUSA Utah State Director 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. Additional information and applications for the CEP can be accessed at the following link on the National Website: http://www.skillsusa.org/programs/chapter-excellence-program/
Participation in the Chapter Excellence Program at any level is purely voluntary, but we encourage all Utah chapters to consider working towards the “Quality Chapter” Level 1 recognition. The application and documentation must be delivered to the state director no later than March 1, 2018. The SkillsUSA competition theme for the 2017-18 school year is: SkillsUSA: Champions at Work: Job Ready, Day One. This theme is to be addressed by contestants in the Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions.
As many of you know, tech schools around the state have changed their school names. This also resulted in change of email address for many of our advisors. If your email address has changed, please notify Angelee Day asap at angelee.day@gmail.co
URGENT ADVISOR ACTION ITEM: SKILLSUSA UTAH CONTACT INFORMATION:
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 change.
435-590-8386 (Cell) 435-867-3938 (Office) NEW EMAIL: skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.com Angelee (Angie) Day, Assistant to the State Director Phone: (385) 212-4727 E-mail: angelee.day@gmail.com (E-mail is preferred and will receive a quicker response)
2017-18 SKILLSUSA MEMBERSHIP DUES: (Dues are unchanged from the previous year.)
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: Paid professional membership dues will include free on-line access to the 2017-2018 National Technical Standards AND the 29 SkillsUSA Framework Career Essential lesson plans. Special note #2: All national and state dues are paid to the National SkillsUSA office. Additional membership registration information will be provided at the ULTI event. Our new state officer team is energized and prepared to lead our organization this year. They, along with the state staff have been diligently preparing for numerous fall activities, starting with the Utah Leadership Training Institute that will be held Tuesday, October 10th at the Utah Valley University Student Center in Orem, Utah. I encourage all advisors and their school level SkillsUSA officers to attend this valuable leadership training / professional development event. Your school student officers will return with resources, information and enthusiasm to direct your local school members through a productive and rewarding year in the SkillsUSA organization.
URGENT ADVISOR ACTION ITEM: SKILLSUSA UTAH & NATIONAL WEBSITE:
SkillsUSA Utah
State Directors Message for August 22, 2017 (Please forward/share this message with your CTE colleagues throughout your school/district.) Welcome to another great year of Career and Technical Education Training with Skilled and Technical Science programs supported by SkillsUSA activities and events. We look forward to working with our amazing students, advisors, administrators and industry representatives. As we start a new year with current and new participants, I hope that all of our student and professional members recognize the value of full participation in SkillsUSA. There is tremendous potential for professional development, leadership development, social activities, service activities and many opportunities for students to kick-start their career preparation efforts. Next spring we will add the “icing on the cake” that comes from local, regional, state and national competitions, where our students prove that they are the very best young career professionals that our country has to offer.
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions, concerns or feedback. I wish you all the very 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 SkillsUSA Utah
State Director’s Message for June 7, 2017 Greetings! Time has really flown by and we are just under two weeks from our national conference in Louisville, Kentucky. All conference preparations have been completed including: the airline ticketing process is finalized and paid, the hotel room assignments are completed, the catering orders are done, the conference registrations are finalized and paid, the Louisville Bats baseball game tickets have been ordered and paid for those that pre-ordered tickets during conference registration, the passes for Churchill Downs have been ordered and paid for those that would like to watch the last official horse races of the season, our Utah t-shirts and trading pins have been ordered and received, plus a few other items that will be a surprise at the conference. 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. National Conference Reminders/Items: We will be communicating through our State Website (http://www.utahskillsusa.org) FREQUENTLY! Please check it often! Especially the NLSC Page! The SkillsUSA Utah NLSC Page can be found:
Hotel: We are staying at the Clarion Hotel Conference Center Louisville North, 505 Marriott Drive, Clarksville, Indiana 47129. I know it says Indiana. This hotel is right across the Ohio river from Louisville and is closer to the Kentucky Expo Center (KEC) than our hotel last year. The hotel people have been amazing this year and they are anxious to make our conference stay a memorable one, in a good way! If you want to check out the hotel website go to: Flight Information: Flight Itinerary information and Instructions can be found on our State Website 2017 NLSC Page: BLUE GROUP:
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. Link to Contest Updates: 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. I strongly recommend that every student wear their competition clothing to the pre-contest meeting, just to be safe. If you do not have the proper clothing, you will not win a medal at the national conference. For each contest, the new “SkillsUSA: Clothing and Tools” app includes an overview, clothing requirements, and eligibility and safety guidelines, as well as lists the specific tools, equipment or materials that contestants need to provide. It is offered completely free of charge for students, instructors and SkillsUSA business partners. The app is available now in both the Apple Store: http://apple.co/2dtlb8d and the Google Play Store: http://bit.ly/2e5fRec. 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: The equipment trailer drop-off schedule can be found at:
Ms. Madison Whitney, a past state officer who is currently enrolled at Dixie State University is running for a college/post-secondary national officer position. When her official campaign begins at the national conference, we all need to provide support for this amazing young woman. She will be a fantastic national officer. Condensed Conference Agenda: A simplified/condensed national conference agenda can be found at:
2017 NLSC Program: An electronic copy of the 2017 National Leadership and Skills Conference program is available at: It is critical that every student find their contest information in the back section of the program. The contests are listed alphabetically and indicate every meeting and contest event, location and time. Plan to leave the hotel 45 minutes to 1 hour before each meeting/event to make sure you arrive on time. *We strongly encourage those with Smart Phones to download the 2017 SkillsUSA NLSC App. You can sign up for everything specific to your contest, in addition to access to everything about the conference. You can find it by going to either Google Play or the Apple Store and searching ‘2017 SkillsUSA NLSC’. 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. We expect nothing more. We demand nothing less! I truly appreciate all that you do! Warm regards, Richard Wittwer SkillsUSA Utah State Director Date: April 4, 2017
TO: SkillsUSA National Contestants, Advisors, CTE Directors and Parents FROM: Richard Wittwer - SkillsUSA Utah State Director SUBJECT: SKILLSUSA NATIONAL LEADERSHIP & SKILLS CONFERENCE LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, JUNE 19 - JUNE 24, 2017 INDIVIDUALS INVITED TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION PROCEDURE: *CHANGED FROM PREVIOUS YEARS! PLEASE READ!* *CAN ONLY BE COMPLETED BY ADVISORS AND CTE ADMINISTRATORS* ON THE NATIONAL SKILLSUSA WEBSITE BY FRIDAY, APRIL 21ST, 2017.
Richard Wittwer 4318 West 1275 South Cedar City, Utah 84720
Students and participants will not be considered “registered” for the national conference until the 4 Steps Above have been completed. REGISTRATION TYPES:
An NLSC Form 1 must be completed for every person attending the national conference, including family and friends who desire to be full participants at the conference. Form 1 can be found by:
FLIGHT & HOTEL ACCOMMODATION DEVIATIONS: A ‘Deviation’ is considered a special request for different travel/hotel dates, times, and locations other than those provided by SkillsUSA Utah as part of our pre-booked Group Flight and Group Hotel Block.
DATES AND DEADLINES
Our only source of contact information for students, advisors, and administrators is the SkillsUSA National Website. If your Form 1 information is not complete or accurate, specifically phone numbers and email addresses, there is a very high probability that you will miss out on some valuable information that comes through the state director to the individual students and/or advisors. PLEASE make sure that the Form 1 information for both you and your students is complete, current and accurate. *We will also be utilizing our State Website (http://www.utahskillsusa.org) as a form of communication. Please check it regularly. NATIONAL CONFERENCE HOTEL *DIFFERENT HOTEL THIS YEAR!* RESERVATIONS/GROUP BLOCK:
HOTEL: Clarion Hotel Conference Center Louisville North
HOTEL ROOM ASSIGNMENTS:
NATIONAL CONFERENCE AIR TRAVEL Our travel agent has completed the group air travel reservations for all SkillsUSA Utah participants traveling to the national conference. The actual flight assignments will be completed after all conference registration documents and payments have been received by FRIDAY, APRIL 21ST, 2017.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE COSTS BREAKDOWN All inquiries concerning registration, housing, and travel must be directed to Richard Wittwer at skillsusa.utahstatedirector@gmail.com or 435-590-8386. (Email is preferred)
2017 NLSC CONTESTANT INSTRUCTIONS 2017-2018 Technical Standards: All contestants and advisors must carefully study and understand the rules and regulations that pertain to your contest as shown in the Skills USA Championships Technical Standards for 2017-2018. If you don’t have access the 2017-2018 Technical Standards, they are available online through your advisor via his/her paid professional membership on the National Website.
Contest Updates: All updates to the National Conference contests are posted on the national website: http://www.skillsusa.org.
FOLLOW-UP FOR VERIFICATION OF CONFERENCE INFORMATION
2017 SKILLSUSA NLSC BASIC SCHEDULE Here is a very basic schedule for the week we are in Louisville. A detailed schedule will be provided as soon as it is available from the national office.
RESUME
CLOSING REMARKS 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. We expect nothing more. We demand nothing less! Thanks for another wonderful state conference event. Once again, your remarkable students demonstrated outstanding skills and dedication. I am very excited to accompany these young people and their advisors to the national conference for the next level of competition at the 2017 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
NEW PROCESSES! PLEASE READ AND VERIFY YOUR REGISTRATION WAS PROCESSED CORRECTLY: After a review of the national conference registrations completed so far, I want to make sure that all advisors are aware of the required national conference registration steps. In order to be considered “registered,” there are numerous details that must be completed throughout the registration process on the national website. Please pay close attention to the following steps for every participant:
for your efforts in this matter. A few post-state conference notes: I appreciate those advisors that provided feedback and proposed solutions for concerns following the state conference event. We have discussed these items and will take the appropriate actions to improve the state conference experience for all participants. FINAL REMARKS Thank you all for your efforts and precious time dedicated to this event and the SkillsUSA Organization. I truly appreciate all that you do! Warm regards, Richard Wittwer SkillsUSA Utah State Director See Attached (Also Hyperlinked to our Website)
OFFICIAL CONTEST CLOTHING:
Just a reminder to have every contestant in the appropriate SkillsUSA clothing at the state conference. Refer to your individual contest in the 2017-18 National Technical Standards if you need clarification on clothing requirements. Clothing penalties will be assessed for improper contest clothing. SLCC CAMPUS POLICIES:
Our wonderful hosts at Salt Lake Community College have asked me to remind all participants of the visitor policies that will be enforced during the state conference.
All Education Team Leaders are required to attend the Ed Team Leader Luncheon and mandatory meeting held in the SLCC Main Campus Student Center, Room 130 at 1:00 pm on Thursday, March 23rd. We will share a buffet lunch, discuss contest concerns, and distribute name badge packets / judge appreciation gifts.
Once again, we will be going paperless at the state conference, which means the contest updates, conference agenda, bus schedule, SLCC campus maps, contest schedule/building/room assignments, awards program, etc. are only available on our state website on our ULSC Page by CLICKING HERE
ALTERNATES/SUBSTITUTIONS: The substitutions procedure this year will be different than previous years:
MODELS: Models will not be required to register for contests this year. Contestants that need a model will need to remember to bring someone with them. It is preferred that the model be a Member of SkillsUSA, but it is not required. LATE MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION POLICY:
We have had a few requests to utilize students registered as Members after March 1st, 2017 as Substitutions. They do not allow this on the National Level. However, we MAY allow them to compete on the State Level with the following Understanding:
RESUMES:
CAMPUS MAPS:
We have posted every campus map that we could find available for all contests locations on our ULSC page on our State Website. You can access them by
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AuthorRichard Wittwer has been teaching as an Automotive Technology instructor for 38 years, has been a SkillsUSA Utah Advisor for 33 years, and the State Director for 5 years. Categories
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