Whittier Tech Celebrates SkillsUSA Week

Students and faculty at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School have joined others across the nation to celebrate SkillsUSA Week, Feb. 6-10, 2023. The annual celebration represents over 372,000 SkillsUSA members nationwide and promotes career and technical education (CTE). The week highlights the benefits of the SkillsUSA program in developing personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics. It also provides schools with an opportunity to demonstrate how CTE helps prepare local students for college and high-wage, high-demand career fields. SkillsUSA Week annually highlights SkillsUSA members and promotes career and technical education throughout the country. SkillsUSA is one of nine U.S. career and technical student organizations (CTSOs).

Among the special activities held this week include:

  • Monday was Recognition Day. We recognized the Whittier Tech students and staff who contribute to the success of SkillsUSA. A special shout-out was given to the MRE Challenge Bronze Medal winners Elliott Dalton, Alannah Noone, and Michael Marin Montillo.

  • Tuesday was Give Back Day. Students and staff were given the opportunity to share what local community organizations Whittier should give back to. Some of the organizations submitted include The Trevor Project, Make a Wish, Autism Speaks, Wigs for Cancer, Tufts Children's Hospital, Sweet Paws Rescue, and shelters.

  • Wednesday was Partner Day. Whittier Tech highlighted our many partnerships with a special thank you to our more than 450+ Advisory Board members.

  • Today is Advocacy Day. Our goal for today is to amplify CTE.

  • Tomorrow is SkillsUSA Day. We ask that everyone wear blue and red as we continue with our Framework Friday.

SkillsUSA Week activities nationwide include presentations to administrators, business leaders, and legislators; community service events to benefit local charities and organizations; interviews with the news media; student-led events and campus outreach; and industry partnership development. SkillsUSA Week is held during February in conjunction with CTE Month. 

Stay tuned to see how we finish our week-long celebration of SkillsUSA Week!




ABOUT SKILLSUSA

SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen our nation’s skilled workforce. Driven by employer demand, SkillsUSA helps students develop necessary personal and workplace skills along with technical skills grounded in academics. This SkillsUSA Framework empowers every student to succeed at work and in life while helping to close the skills gap in which millions of positions go unfilled.

Through SkillsUSA’s championships program and curricula, employers have long ensured schools are teaching relevant technical skills, and with SkillsUSA’s new credentialing process, they can now assess how ready potential employees are for the job. SkillsUSA has more than 366,000 annual paid members nationwide in high schools, colleges, and middle schools, covering over 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, and is recognized by the U.S. departments of Education and Labor as integral to career and technical education. With the addition of its alumni, membership last year was 427,432. The nonprofit has served nearly 14 million members since 1965.

Deborah Santos