Advisor Update October 2019
SkillsUSA Michigan
This newsletter contains the Advisor Update and the SkillsUSA Flash!
2020 National Technical Standards
The 2020 Technical Standards for all national contests were released today, October 1, 2019 and are available to you at no cost with your paid Professional member. Once you are registered as a Professional member, you will be emailed a PIN code to access them.
2019-2020 Membership Dues
- Student: $14.00 = $8.00 (national) and $6.00 (state)
- Professional: $26.00 = $20.00 (national) and $6.00 (state). Reminder - All advisors MUST be professional members of SkillsUSA in order for their students to participate in any SkillsUSA activities!
2019-2020 Membership Registration Deadlines
November 15, 2019 is the deadline for your initial membership registration to be submitted to the National Office to be able to receive all four issues of Champions Magazine and free teacher items. All rosters are to be submitted online at http://www.skillsusa-register.org/. Schools are encouraged join by November 15, 2019 in order to ensure full membership services for the year.
January 15, 2020 is the deadline for your final membership registration to be submitted to the National Office. All students must be paid members of SkillsUSA Michigan by January 15, 2019 in order to participate in regional, state and national competitions and/or conferences. If you have any questions/concerns about this deadline, please contact me!
All membership registrations must be submitted online at http://www.skillsusa-register.org/. Paper rosters are discouraged. Please make sure that all membership checks are sent directly to the National Office. When registering, be sure to also register your section under the specific program name, not just Mixed Training. This information is very helpful to the national office in determining what programs are at what schools.
Membership Incentives
SkillsUSA Michigan is encouraging each chapter to increase their membership this year. Each chapter that submits their membership by the due date listed below will qualify for the following incentive(s). Membership must be submitted online at www.skillsusa-register.org by the due dates in order to meet the requirements.
State Incentive: Membership Increase by January 15, 2020
- For every five member increase over last year’s membership, the chapter will receive one entry into the drawing for a SkillsUSA blazer, a $99 value.
- Both student and professional members are included in the chapter’s total membership.
- Drawing will be held at the State Leadership and Skills Conference in April.
National Incentive: Membership Submitted by November 15, 2019
- As a special membership incentive, register at least 15 student members in your training program plus one or more professionals by Nov. 15, and you will receive a free educational resource item, Critical Thinking at Work (value $9.95).
- Instructors who register with 100% membership plus one or more professionals will also receive a SkillsUSA Program of Work calendar (value: $5.95).
2019 Fall Leadership and Professional Development Conference
The Fall Leadership and Professional Development Conference is a great way to kick off your year and to motivate your members to have a great year with SkillsUSA Michigan. The conference is a combination of team building activities and breakout sessions on SkillsUSA with special professional development sessions specifically for advisors. The early registration fee for the conference is $35.00 per participant (students and advisors) and includes registration materials, and lunch.
The Fall Leadership Conference is November 4, 2019 at the Lansing Center in Lansing. Registration is as follows. More information is available at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/. Faxed or mailed forms will not be accepted!
- Regular Registration deadline – October 7, 2019
- Late Registration deadline – October 21, 2019
FLC State Officer Assistants
Students that have at least one full year remaining in their career & technical training program and are interested in running for state office for the 2020-2021 school year are invited to assist at the Fall Leadership Conference. This opportunity will give the state officer assistants a chance to see what is involved in being a state officer. If you have an interested student, please register them as a state officer assistant and more information will be sent to you.
State officer assistants:
- Will assist the current state officers in one of the morning breakout sessions.
- Will have the opportunity to eat lunch and talk with the current state officers.
- Must wear official dress.
2020 Intent to Compete Form
If your school intends to compete in 2020, please fill out the 2020 Intent to Compete form! This form is a critical component of the planning and scheduling of regional and state competitions. The deadline is October 31, 2019. This form is now electronic and failure to return this form via email by the due date may result in your school not being allowed to compete in some events, or some events not being offered on the regional and/or state level. It is available on our web site at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
Chapter Excellence Program
Chapter Excellence Program (CEP) is the single best way to build a successful SkillsUSA chapter. Every chapter is encouraged to participate in CEP and there are three award levels to recognize program involvement. The first two levels are acknowledged by a chapter’s state association and the third level is recognized nationally. Each level is designed to give chapters a benchmark for success and future improvement, leading to stronger chapters and more prepared students.
Starting this year, achievement of CEP Level 1 will be a required in order to be nominated for the State Advisor of the Year. More information about CEP is posted at https://www.skillsusa.org/programs/chapter-excellence-program/.
2020 State National Anthem Contest
A SkillsUSA Michigan member will be selected to sing the National Anthem acapella at the Friday Opening General Session on April 17, 2020 at the State Conference. Interested members must submit an audition file of them singing the National Anthem in order to be considered. Student must be a current member of SkillsUSA Michigan and must pay the State Conference registration fee. Only individual entries are allowed, no groups.
All audition files must be posted via the online form available at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/ no later than January 10, 2020. Audition files received after this date will not be considered.
SkillsUSA Michigan reserves the right to not have a student sing the National Anthem if it is deemed that there are no qualified entries submitted by the due date.
New Advisor Workshop
Tuesday, Oct 8, 2019, 09:30 AM
Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA
Fall Leadership Conference
Wednesday, Nov 4, 201, 12:30 PM
Lansing Center, East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI, USA
State Leadership and Skills Conference
Friday, Apr 17, 2020, 12:00 PM
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
National Leadership and Skills Conference
Monday, Jun 22, 2020, 09:00 AM
Louisville, KY, United States
About Us
Email: info@miskillsusa.org
Website: www.miskillsusa.org
Location: Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, United States
Phone: 734-487-3888
Facebook: www.facebook.com/miskillsusa
Twitter: @miskillsusa
SkillsUSA Flash
Deadline Closing — Enter T-shirt Design Contest for 2020 SkillsUSA Week
Student designs are being sought for the official T-shirt of SkillsUSA Week. One design will be selected and produced by the SkillsUSA Store in 2020.
The contest is open to all dues-paying student members. Only one entry/design per SkillsUSA member is permitted. All designs submitted should be appropriate for use on a red T-shirt.
All entries must be submitted to SkillsUSA exactly as directed in the rules and become the property of SkillsUSA once submitted.
Download the contest rules at: https://www.skillsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SkillsUSA-Week-T-Shirt-Design-Contest-FY20.docx
Submission deadline is Friday, Sept. 27.
New Theme for 2019-20 Announced
The SkillsUSA competition theme is used throughout the year in membership materials and as the topic for Chapter Display, Prepared Speech and Promotional Bulletin Board competitions at the local, state and national levels. The theme for the 2019-20 year is:
SkillsUSA: Champions at Work
I’m Ready
Within this topic, contestants might illustrate or discuss a variety of ideas. For details, go to: www.skillsusa.org/about/theme/ .
Take Action to Increase Perkins State Grant Funding
SkillsUSA’s friends at the Association for Career and Technical Education have requested your help in ensuring an increase this year in Perkins Basic State Grants.
In June, the House passed its appropriations bills for fiscal year (FY) 2020, which included a $47 million increase for Perkins grants — potentially bringing the new total to $1.31 billion. After years of declining federal support for career and technical education, the past two federal budgets (FY 2018, FY 2019) have included modest increases for the Perkins program.
Your advocacy has been critical to securing these increases, and so we need your help again to keep the momentum going.
To ask your senators to support an increase in Perkins CTE funding in the FY 2020 appropriations bill, go to: www.acteonline.org/advocacy/take-action/#/34.
You can also call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. An operator will then connect you with your requested Senate office.
We need to continue to raise awareness with policymakers to ensure they understand the many benefits associated with high-quality career and technical education programs. The Senate Appropriations Committee plans to consider funding for education programs for FY20 as soon as next week. Your advocacy makes a difference and encourages policymakers to take action, so please contact your senators today.
Become a SkillsUSA Career Essentials Certified Teacher
Are you using or planning to use SkillsUSA Career Essentials: Experiences courses and their associated assessments? If so, consider joining SkillsUSA’s virtual opportunities for Career Essentials Certified Teacher training in September.
At present, there is one option for completing the training in one four-hour online session, and there are also several options for completing the training in four one-hour online sessions. In addition, there are opportunities to set your own date for on-site training of a teacher group (for groups of 12 or more) or your own date for virtual training of a teacher group (for groups of five to 20).
Virtual training sessions require a minimum of five registrants, and a maximum of 20 will be accepted for any one given date.
SkillsUSA Career Essentials Certified Teacher training is designed for teachers who are currently using the Experiences courses or who are planning to. Contextual information about the SkillsUSA Framework and basic resource information is assumed to be known by individuals participating in this training. If additional contextual information is needed for trainees prior to participating, our trainers will work with you as needed.
Check out the many opportunities here.
Enjoy the Benefits of Professional Membership
The SkillsUSA registration site is officially open for the new school year. If you or any chapter advisors need assistance with SkillsUSA membership or registration, hotline operators are ready to answer questions about starting a new chapter, ways to engage chapter members or strategies to strengthen an existing chapter. Operators are on call 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday (Eastern time). To reach the hotline, call 844-875-4557 or email operators@skillsusa.org. You can also chat online on the membership registration site.
Professional members receive these great benefits:
- 2019-20 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards. The official competition guide for the SkillsUSA Championships contains rules for all national competitive events, including an overview, lists of technical skills and knowledge required, clothing requirements, eligibility and equipment lists. Note: The latest SkillsUSA Championships contest updates and the official SkillsUSA Championships scorecards are located online here: skillsusa.org/competitions/skillsusa-championships/contest-updates/
- Jump into STEM! Curriculum includes middle-school and elementary-school STEM career exploration activities that can be taught by high-school members. This is a great opportunity to expose students to STEM careers and recruit for career and technical education programs as well as SkillsUSA.
- SkillsUSA Career Essentials: Foundations. This complete curriculum includes 29 lesson plans that support the SkillsUSA Framework and prepare students for career readiness.
SkillsUSA professional members receive all of these materials when they submit membership along with a valid email address. The 2019-20 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards and other materials are provided through a digital delivery system. National dues for professional members are $20 plus state dues, which vary. The complete listing of 2019-20 state dues and deadlines is online and included in the membership kits.
Becoming a professional member of SkillsUSA is one of the best ways to demonstrate to students the importance of joining a professional organization and the opportunities that membership will provide.