Advisor Update September 2020
SkillsUSA Michigan
Welcome to the 2020-2021 year!
We understand the challenges that we are all facing this year not knowing how many of our activities will take place. This update will answer your questions and let you know which activities we are working on. More details will be forthcoming in early October.
As we have planned our fall activities, we have been developing them with the following quote in mind:
“It may be more important this year, than any other year to provide CTSO activities for students to connect with other students and business people during these times of remote instruction.”
-A Michigan CTE Director
SkillsUSA Michigan State Director
I’m pleased to announce that Carrie Warning will be starting September 28th as our State Director. Carrie brings a strong background in project management to the position. She has been teaching at the Genesee Career Institute for 12 years, serving as a chapter advisor and has served as the Region 3 Senior Representative on our Advisors Council.
State Officers
Our State Officers have been busy meeting every week this summer to plan for the year with a series of engagement activities for our members. They have been preparing to give virtual chapter visits and workshops and will be coordinating our social media. Later in the week we will be sending an email for you to schedule a virtual chapter visit with one of our officers.
New Advisor In-Service
SkillsUSA Michigan is pleased to offer assistance in establishing your chapter by holding New Advisor In-service. The in-service will consist of six 45-minute zoom sessions starting on October 14, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. and running for the next 5 Wednesdays. The registration fee is $40 and will include materials and a SkillsUSA Michigan polo shirt. The in-service is for teachers who have been a SkillsUSA advisor for 2 years or less. The registration deadline is October 7, 2020 and the form will be posted on our web site by the end of the week at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
Fall Leadership Conference
The Fall Leadership 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 being coordinated by the National SkillsUSA office. It will be held on Friday, November 6, 2020. The fee will be $18.00 per person. ($6.00 less than it was last year.) The registration deadline will be Friday, October 23, 2020. We are waiting for additional details from the national office.
In addition to the Leadership Conference, SkillsUSA will also be offering a special training for Chapter Officers on Friday, November 20, 2020. There is no additional cost for officers that have participated in the Fall Leadership Conference. We will share more information as soon as it becomes available.
2020-2021 Membership Dues
- Student: $14.00 = $8.00 (national) and $6.00 (state)
- Professional: $26.00 = $20.00 (national) and $6.00 (state)
Membership Registration Deadlines
November 15, 2020 is the deadline for your initial membership registration to be in order to receive full membership services for the year, including all four issues of Champions Magazine and free teacher items. November 15th is also the deadline for members to be able to access the virtual content that is going to be provided by SkillsUSA Michigan this year.
January 15, 2021 is the deadline for your final membership. All students must be paid members of SkillsUSA Michigan by January 15, 2021 to participate in regional, state and national competitions and/or conferences.
All membership registrations must be submitted online at http://www.skillsusa-register.org/. Please make sure that all membership checks are sent directly to the National SkillsUSA 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 the programs that each school offers.
Membership Incentives
SkillsUSA Michigan is encouraging each chapter to increase their member engagement and 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, 2021
- For every five member increase over last year’s membership, the chapter will receive one entry into the drawing for a SkillsUSA blazer, a $125 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.
Membership Incentive Time — Register by Nov. 15
Becoming a professional member of SkillsUSA is one of the best ways to demonstrate to students the opportunities that membership provides. Professional members receive online access to the following as a benefit of membership: Framework Integration Toolkit consisting of 45 separate resources, Program of Work Toolkit for in-person and virtual chapter activities, Championships Toolkit including 2021 SkillsUSA Championships Technical Standards and local competition guides, Jump into STEM! Toolkit plus virtual lesson plans.
As a special membership incentive, those who register at least 15 student members plus one or more professionals by Nov. 15 will receive a complimentary copy of JumpStart 2.0, a collection of 33 mixers and icebreakers to engage SkillsUSA students in meetings, workshops and other activities.
JumpStart 2.0 will help you find immeasurable success in the rewarding and fulfilling venture of being a SkillsUSA advisor as you coach your students to excellence. We hope you enjoy making this resource a part of your classroom and chapter environment.
Here is a link of some membership recruitment resources: https://www.skillsusa.org/membership-resources/chapters/recruiting/recruitment-ideas/
Technical Standards
The 2020-2021 Technical Standards are free with your professional membership. It will be available online and once you join as a professional member, you will receive a code from the National SkillsUSA office via email in order to access them.
Advisor Welcome Back Letter and Information Form
All active advisors will receive a Welcome Back letter and an Advisor Information Form in the US mail in October. Please review your Advisor Information Form for accuracy, make any corrections and fax it back to the state office this month. Be sure we have your correct email address! Over 95% of our communication will be via email.
Advisor Manual Inserts
The 2020-2021 Advisor Manual inserts are in the final round of edits. Our goal is to have them in the mail and posted online by October 1st. They will be sent to all Lead Advisors that had a SkillsUSA Michigan chapter last year. The inserts cover all SkillsUSA Michigan information your school will need for the coming school year. Please replace the old pages with the new ones.
Competition
We are committed to providing avenues for competition this year. The National SkillsUSA office is compiling ways that State Associations can conduct competition this year. We will be meeting with them next week to discuss options and will provide that information to you as soon as it is available.
Technical Committee Nomination Form
All advisors are encouraged to nominate a business and industry representative to serve as a member of a technical committee. This is in an effort to get more business and industry representatives on the technical committees. The nomination form is due no later than October 15, 2020 and will be posted on our web site by the end of the week at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
Technical Committee Meeting
Because we are gathering and reviewing options for competition, the Technical Committees will meet in November this year. We will be setting the date in the near future.
Intent to Compete Form
If your school intends to compete in 2021, please fill out the 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, 2020. Please download the Excel form, complete, save to your computer, and submit as an attachment via email by the due date. Failure to meet the deadline 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 will be posted on our web site by the end of the week at http://miskillsusa.org/advisors/forms/.
Regional and State Conference
We will be reviewing the guidance from the state health department and the event options provided by the National SkillsUSA office to determine what format the Regional and State Conferences will take this year. Our goal is to make a decision regarding the Regional Conferences by the end of October, and the State Conference by January. Additional information will be provided as we move through this process.
Community Service Projects
Community Service Projects are an important way to instill good citizenship in our members. They will also be great chapter building activities during this time of limited large gatherings as a way to bring chapter members together to work in small teams to accomplish the goals of your community service project. Have your chapter’s Community Service Project highlighted in the SkillsUSA Michigan newsletter and on the SkillsUSA Michigan web site! Send a short summary of your project and any photo(s) to cwarning@emich.edu. Your Community Service Project will be added to the next newsletter and posted on our web site and Facebook page for all to see!
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