Students Declared New York State SkillsUSA Champions - Preparing Tomorrow’s Skilled Workforce Today

Among the thousands who took to the state fairgrounds, WSWHE BOCES CTE students also returned home with the title of New York State SkillsUSA Champion in their respective fields. ​

Click here for the individual awards received at the competition.

First place winners are eligible to represent the F. Donald Myers Education Center and the Southern Adirondack Education Center at the 2022 National Leadership and Skills Conference which will be held June 20-24 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The National Leadership and Skills Conference showcases career and technical education students. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. It has an applied method of instruction for preparing America’s high performance workers in public Career and Technical Education programs. SkillsUSA provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship, and character development. It emphasizes total quality at work – high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education, and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free-enterprise system and involvement in community service.

Every year, CTE students compete in local SkillsUSA competitions at the F. Donald Myers and Southern Adirondack Education Centers in order to earn the chance to compete at the SkillsUSA Regional, New York State, and National competitions. 

Each competition measures a student’s hands-on skills in their chosen field of study including nursing, baking, welding, auto repair, and carpentry as well as interviewing for jobs and public speaking. Students are given an assignment that must be completed within a set time frame. Business and industry leaders judge the competitions. Students prepare for the competition for months, often staying after school to be coached by their teachers, and the prizes are well worth the effort. Some students receive scholarships and awards as a result of their exceptional performance at a competition.

SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit organization, is devoted to rewarding students for excellence, for involving industry in directly evaluating student performance, and for keeping career training relevant to employers’ needs. Click here to learn more about SkillsUSA.

For more photos, click here to visit the Facebook photo album.