Friday Flash NM!
SkillsUSA NM Updates 12/11/15
SkillsUSA Framework Providing a Solution to Employer’s Needs
According to a CareerBuilder survey, 77 percent of employers consider soft skills just as important as hard skills when it comes to evaluating candidates for a job, and 16 percent say soft skills are more important. Soft technical skills remain a sought-after trait and a recognized business differentiator among employers.
According to a survey of more than 2,000 hiring managers nationwide, the top 10 most-popular soft skills they look for when hiring include:
· Strong work ethic
· Dependability
· Positive attitude
· Self-motivation
· Team-oriented attitude
· Organization; ability to manage multiple priorities
· Ability to work well under pressure
· Effective communication skills
· Flexibility
· Confidence
SkillsUSA is prepared to meet these needs through the implementation of the SkillsUSA Framework, which empowers every student to achieve career success, delivers a skill set demanded by business and industry and ensures that every student member receives a consistent and specific skill set.
For details on the survey, go to: thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2014/04/10/skilling-softly-evaluate-candidates-soft-skills/ and on the framework: www.skillsusa.org/about/skillsusa-framework/Chapter Excellence Program Applications
SkillsUSA’s Chapter Excellence Program (CEP) recognizes and honors chapters for their achievements and endeavors to develop personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Ensure that your chapter is receiving the recognition it deserves by completing the Chapter of Excellence application. This new program provides lots of opportunities for chapters to receive recognition. Learn how to get started here:
· CEP Teacher’s Guide — www.skillsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/CEP-Teachers-Guide.pdf
· CEP Webinar — www.skillsusa.org/events-training/webinars/ (second, third and fourth webinar from the top of the page)
· CEP Online Application — www.skillsusa-register.org/Login.aspx
· CEP Questions — We are here to help; contact Gayle Silvey (gsilvey@skillsusa.org/404-216-6040) or Debbie Peabody (dpeabody@skillsusa.org/844-875-4557)
NM Deadline is March 4th.
Membership
Join today!
Membership Hotline 844-875-4557Step-by-Step Instructions:
http://www.skillsusa-register.org/rpts/MembershipRegistrationStepByStep.pdf
SLSC 2016
Plan to attend the 50th Celebration SLSC!
Our dates are set for April 6-9th in Albuquerque!Registration is $75/person
More details will be on the website as they are ready!
CRC=29 Lesson Plans!
Personal Skills
Workplace Skills
Technical Skills grounded in academics!
http://www.skillsusa.org/programs/career-readiness-curriculum/
Important Legislative Letter from CTLP Advisory Board Chair, Marjorie Gillespie
http://tinyurl.com/MarjorieSkillsUSALetter
Make plans to attend our CTSO Day at the Roundhouse! January 25th in Santa Fe
http://nmctso.com/ctlp-events/
Contact her with any questions
Lowe’s Grants Updates....
Lowe’s continues a seventh year of generosity with another round of SkillsUSA grants in 2016. Grant information and the application are now available on the SkillsUSA website at: www.skillsusa.org/membership-resources/grants/lowes/. The guidelines and focus of the grant program are changed slightly from years past. The deadline for grant applications is Dec. 20 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Late applications will not be accepted. Please review the grant guidelines to be sure that applications are properly completed and submitted.
Changes to Member Communications
The Winter 2016 issue of SkillsUSA Champions magazine, which includes the annual survey results of technical committee chairs at the SkillsUSA Championships, is in the mail to those chapters joining before Nov. 16.
This will be the last printed issue of the school year. SkillsUSA is working on the conversion of the Spring (February-March) 2016 issue to a digital edition, available through its website, that will be responsive on all electronic devices. This change is a result of a major survey of SkillsUSA members. The research found that over three-fourths of members rate SkillsUSA’s communications as effective but also request approaches that are better targeted to their specific needs. Student members prefer the SkillsUSA website as their main communications channel and ask for more videos, photos and blogs to encourage greater involvement.
While SkillsUSA been posting issues at www.skillsusa.org, the primary method of delivery has been to mail magazines to teachers for distribution to student members. With this transformation to digital format, anyone can read SkillsUSA Champions anywhere, then share and build on the content as desired. SkillsUSA is also increasing its social media presence as a result of this communications research.
RESOLUTE: Ethics at Work
RESOLUTE: Ethics at Work cards are a collection of scenarios that represent day-to-day dilemmas that workers in many occupations are likely to face on their jobs. As students enter the workforce, they will face a variety of ethical dilemmas that require well-developed decision-making and problem-solving skills. As they wrestle with these dilemmas, students gain new insights about conflicting values, and they discover the variety of possible options and consequences that often exist. These engaging activities challenge students to work together to resolve ethical dilemmas and expose them to a variety of values and cultures.
A teacher resource is included with each set of 49 cards. Tonia Fry, a graphic design instructor and SkillsUSA advisor in West Virginia states, “I use RESOLUTE in my classroom regularly; it's a part of my weekly planning. RESOLUTE scenarios are ‘real,’ and they deal with situations that our students will face, at some point, in their personal and professional lives. The RESOLUTE formula is an excellent tool to engage students in class discussions, as well as to think ‘outside the box.’ RESOLUTE equips our students with a strategy to make ethical decisions.”
College/postsecondary instructor Boyd Hestand of Tennessee adds, “After we have worked through the RESOLUTE dilemmas, I break the students into small groups, and each group has to come up with an ethical dilemma at work, school or in their family. A student from each group stands up and presents the dilemma to the other groups, then the other groups have to solve the dilemma. I do some facilitating during the discussion time to keep the conversation on track and draw out different points of view.”
The scenario below is taken from RESOLUTE. Try it with your students, and if you like it, then collect the whole set for just $24.95 by visiting: www.skillsusa.org/store/ResoluteEthics.html.
"OVERLOOKED"
Elise has worked in the same position for the past three years. She is a dedicated worker who is well respected and liked by both management and her coworkers. On at least three separate occasions, she has applied for management positions that were ultimately given to staff members with less experience and education. In the most recent case, the position was filled with an employee from outside the company. She doesn’t know why this is happening. She thinks this is unfair and has become angry, bitter and resentful. She wants to confront management about being overlooked for promotion but is afraid they will see how bitter she has become. She is wondering if she should just look for a new job. What should Elise do?
RESOLUTE Discussion Points
R = Relevant Facts: Define the problem.
E = Ethical Issues: What is being challenged?
- Laws, regulations, policies
- Health, safety, wellbeing of someone or something
- Someone’s values or rights
- Ethical values — honesty, respect, equality
S = Stakeholders: Who will be affected?
- · How could each stakeholder be affected?
O = Options: What are all of the alternatives?
- · Do the options reflect views of stakeholders?
L = Likely Outcomes: Each option’s results.
- Who would be helped and who would be hurt?
- Ethics codes — are laws and policies followed?
- Are ethical values being honored?
- Are moral principles being honored?
U = Unacceptable Options: Eliminate options.
T = Tests: Rank and choose and option, then ask:
- Would a virtuous person make this choice?
- What if my decision appeared in the newspaper?
- Would I choose this if I were adversely affected?
- Will others trust me? Will I respect myself?
E = Ethical Decision: Explain how you made the decision. What compromises did you make?
SkillsUSA New Mexico Association
SkillsUSA: Connecting YOU to Career Success
Email: Bobbi.Eichhorst@enmu.edu
Website: http://nmctso.com/
Location: 1500 S. Ave K ENMU Station 61 Portales, NM 88130
Phone: (575) 650-5384
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Skills-USA-NM-1901262316765014/