FSCC students going to SkillsUSA national conference

Tyler Barrett and Fred Closs, two students from Fort Scott Community College's Construction Trades program, will travel to Kansas City, Mo., the week of June 21 as delegates and competitors at the 46th Annual National Leadership and Skills Conference sponsored by SkillsUSA.

During their stay, the students will participate as voting delegates for their state, elect their national officers, conduct the business of their organization, meet with business and industry representatives, hear government officials, and have fun, according to a news release.

Some of the students will participate in the SkillsUSA Championships scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 23, and Thursday, June 24. More than 5,000 students compete in 96 occupational and leadership skill areas. SkillsUSA programs also help to establish industry standards for job skill training in the classroom, the news release said.

SkillsUSA is a national organization that serves students enrolled in trade, industrial, technical and health occupational programs in public high schools, career and technical centers, schools and two-year colleges. SkillsUSA has more than 300,000 student members annually who are organized into more than 17,000 sections and 54 state and territorial associations. SkillsUSA has served nearly 10 million members.

Currently, nearly 17,000 teachers and school administrators serve as professional members and instructors in SkillsUSA. More than 1,100 business, industry and labor sponsors actively support the organization at the national level through financial aid, in-kind contributions, and involvement of their representatives in the organization's activities. Many more work directly with state associations and local chapters.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives who work together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. The organization helps each student to excel. SkillsUSA is an applied method for preparing America's high performance workers in public career and technical programs. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. The organization also builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. The association emphasizes total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, lifelong education and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free enterprise system and involvement in community service.