What is SkillsUSA?
SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization. It is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA serves middle school, high school and college students in programs preparing them for technical, skilled and service careers. In addition to technical skills training, SkillsUSA provides educational experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. SkillsUSA was formerly known as VICA (the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America).
Mission:
SkillsUSA empowers students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members. SkillsUSA improves the quality of our nation’s future skilled workforce through the development of personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics.
Impact:
Many industries today face a shortage of skilled workers, and SkillsUSA offers a tangible way to help solve this problem by ensuring that there will be a future workforce trained in the skills industry needs. SkillsUSA complements technical skill training with instruction in the employability skills that make a well-rounded worker and citizen. Our programs emphasize high ethical standards, superior work skills, lifelong education and pride.
SkillsUSA Framework:
The SkillsUSA Framework illustrates how students fulfill the mission of the organization “to empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members. SkillsUSA has an impact on the lives of America’s future workforce through the development of personal, workplace, and technical skills that are grounded in academics.
What it does:
- Provides a common language for students to articulate what they gain from SkillsUSA participation to employers, school administrators, parents and other students
- Assesses student skill development along a learning continuum of awareness, demonstration and mastery
- Creates a vision for SkillsUSA programs at the local, state and national levels to ensure quality student-led experiences that build skills in all members
Why it works:
- Empowers every student to achieve career success
- Delivers a skill set demanded by business and industry but lacking in many employees today
- Ensures that every student member receives a consistent and specific skill set
National Program of Work:
PROVIDES THE ROAD MAP FOR PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING CHAPTER ACTIVITIES
Why should your chapter create a yearly SkillsUSA Program of Work (PoW)?
When a chapter provides rich experiences in all six categories of the PoW, it empowers students to become career ready. These activities allow students the opportunity to practice and perform the Essential Elements of the SkillsUSA Framework and receive feedback to strengthen their skills.
Leadership Development
The goal of SkillsUSA is to prepare each member for entry into the workforce and provide a foundation for career success. Becoming a professional does not stop with acquiring a skill but involves an increased awareness of the meaning of good citizenship and the importance of labor and management in the world of work.
Workplace Experiences
Participate in career exploration, planning
and work-based learning opportunities,
including the SkillsUSA
Championships.
Community Engagement
Assess community needs, identify services, and employ skills to meet needs that develop long-lasting partnerships.
Financial Management
Develop personal financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills through relevant work experience, project management and chapter fundraising.
Advocacy and Marketing
Promote SkillsUSA chapter programs, career and technical education programs, public relations initiatives, and experiences to build social responsibility.
Partner and Alumni Engagement
Engage former members, parents, advisory committees, administrators, faculty, and business and industry partners in SkillsUSA chapter and classroom activities.
Programs & Assessments:
SkillsUSA offers curricula and classroom programs for further student development which include:
- SkillsUSA Career Essentials ensures students have the foundation skills, attitudes and values to distinguish them from other applicants in the skilled labor marketplace. This suite is the solution in producing career-ready graduates who are prepared to face the 21st-century demands of employers.
- Foundations (formerly known as the Career Readiness Curriculum [CRC]) builds awareness of the SkillUSA Framework which is essential to a successful career and technical education program.
- Experiences (replaces Professional Development Program [PDP]) demonstrates working together in teams, understanding leadership, communicating clearly and demonstrating integrity.
- Assessments (formerly Work Force Ready System Skill Connect Assessments) provides assessments for career and technical education that are supported by industry, education and policy leaders.
- Jump into STEM! provides an opportunity for SkillUSA members to engage middle-school students and create an open door to recruitment for high-school career and technical education (CTE) programs.