SkillsUSA Flash
SkillsUSA Michigan
July 24, 2020
Free Instructor Conference
The ASE Education Foundation will host a free virtual instructor training conference on August 4-5. This conference is designed for high school and college/postsecondary instructors from automotive, truck and collision repair programs nationwide.
“Although we would prefer to meet in person for our annual meeting, we have developed an excellent alternative that will provide educational offerings for our high school and college instructors,” said Mike Coley, ASE Education Foundation president. “We have put together a robust agenda, and the speakers will address some of the most pressing issues that instructors will face this fall. This premier professional development event is packed with information that our participants won't get anywhere else and is focused specifically on the needs of automotive, truck and collision repair educational programs.”
The conference will provide training to hundreds of high school and college/postsecondary instructors. Some of the topics on the agenda include:
- Three scenarios for instruction: in-person, virtual and hybrid.
- The T-TEN "Safe Lab" plan.
- Keeping distance learners engaged.
- Classroom management tools in your e-learning curriculum.
- How COVID-19 affects ASE program accreditation.
- Putting work-based learning to work.
- Developing students' employability skills.
All sessions are 30-90 minutes and will count toward the 20-hour annual update training requirement. Seats are limited. Please click here to register for free.
Looking for Curriculum To Use this Fall?
Are you looking for a project-based curriculum which can empower students to define, implement and measure their career readiness skills? Do you need curriculum that works in the virtual environment, as well as face-to-face? Consider one of four SkillsUSA Career Essentials Suite Experiences:
- Exploratory Experience (Ages 12-14)
- Fundamental Experience (Ages 14-16)
- Advanced Experiences (Ages 17-19)
- Adult Experiences (Ages 20+)
For a limited time, SkillsUSA is offering a considerable discount on this tremendous curriculum. The exploratory and fundamental Experience bundles are $15 per person, and advanced and adult learner Experience bundles are $20 per person. A curriculum bundle includes the pre- and post-assessments. In addition to these bundle prices, the exploratory and fundamental bundles may also be purchased in three segments for $5.95 per segment. Segments must be purchased and used in sequence of the curriculum bundle.
For more information about Career Essentials, visit www.careeressentials.org.
To view the schedule and register to attend a Career Essentials overview, go to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHakvnaro6xmuGXlLVAlgIUJPd3kZLH0DhLaOG-Oq_gfM6gQ/viewform.
To view the complete price sheet, visit: https://www.careeressentials.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/UPDATED-PRICING-6.25.2020.pdf.
The Rural Tech Project
The SkillsUSA Framework defines career readiness in three components: personal skills, workplace skills and technical skills grounded in academics. No matter where students want to work or what they want to do, we recognize that today’s learners will need advanced technology skills. However, traditional teaching models may not effectively deliver transferable technology skills, especially in rural communities.
The Rural Tech Project is a $600,000 challenge to advance rural technology education and prepare students for the careers of today and tomorrow. The U.S. Department of Education invites high schools and local educational agencies to propose technology education programs that use competency-based distance learning. This project is open to any publicly funded school or local education agency that delivers education to a rural community and to students in grades 9-12.
After both phases of the project are complete, the Rural Tech Project will compile the insights from all finalists and share lessons learned as a resource for other rural communities who might adapt similar models.
For more information on this innovative challenge, visit the Rural Tech Project.
Fine Homebuilding Scholarship Winners Announced
Fine Homebuilding has awarded 14 #KeepCraftAlive scholarships to SkillsUSA members studying in construction-related fields who plan to continue their education for the 2020-21 academic year. The $2,500 scholarships can be used for further education including community college, undergraduate programs or industry certifications. The scholarship fund was created by Fine Homebuilding to address the skills gap and disparity between the employment demands of a growing housing industry and a shortage of trained qualified labor.
The 2020 winners are:
- Alabama — Wesley Boyd (carpentry) and Joseph McDaniel (carpentry), Gadsden Community College
- California — Wayson Lee (carpentry), Folsom High School
- Georgia — Zebulon Floyd (construction), Savannah Technical College
- Idaho — Johnathan Lockwood (HVAC), Kootenai Technical Education Campus
- Kentucky — Alaina Davis (carpentry), Murray-Calloway Area Technology Center and Paul Mobley (electrical), Boone County Area Technology Center
- Michigan — Paige Wooden (electrical), Wilson Talent Center
- North Carolina — Jennifer Key (masonry), Columbus Career & College Academy
- New York — Seth Hellings (HVAC), Charles H. Bohlen, Jr. Technical Center
- Texas — Annellise Chavez (carpentry), Construction Careers Academy and Eli Smart (HVAC), Silsbee High School
- Utah — Masen Holmes (electrical), Uintah Basin Technology College-Vernal
- Wyoming — Jeremy Hartt (electrical), Guernsey-Sunrise High School
SkillsUSA Seeks “Essential Skills, Essential Workers” Stories
Recently, we asked states to share with us which SkillsUSA chapters are building or donating personal protective equipment (PPE) in light of the current pandemic. SkillsUSA is pulling together a few brief stories to highlight those chapters in our publications and social media.
In addition to healthcare stories, we also seek stories on essential workers in fields such as automotive technology, culinary arts, welding, cabling or other areas where CTE skills are supporting communities during the current crisis. If you know of any students, advisors or chapters who are helping in this way, please share those stories and contact information so we can get the details. Photos are also greatly appreciated! Send your materials to Jane Short at jshort@skillsusa.org.
About Us
Email: info@miskillsusa.org
Website: http://miskillsusa.org
Location: Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, United States
Phone: 734-487-3888
Facebook: facebook.com/miskillsusa
Twitter: @miskillsusa