500+ SkillsUSA Students Participated in Trade-Specific Discussions

By National Roofing Contractors Association. 

Learn how these organizations are helping students find career paths during a school year like none other.  

SkillsUSA members were recently joined by NRCA for 12 industry discussion panels that reached students nationwide. These trade-specific discussions were part of a professional development activity developed and hosted by SkillsUSA over Zoom. Each discussion was designed around a specific subject and offered the opportunity for students to meet people already working in the industry.  

Along with meeting and discussing the trades, these discussions focused on helping students and teachers stay motivated and excited about the many careers available in construction. For many students, this school year has been incredibly unusual with the majority of students learning virtually at home. These discussions not only provided a chance to learn something new and interesting, but also served to remind students the many possible roads they can walk down in the future. 

On November 18, more than 500 students at SkillsUSA schools nationwide participated in one of 12 simultaneous discussions—organized by career cluster—including architecture and construction, information technology, manufacturing, STEM and transportation. 

The discussions connected members with business and industry panelists. Teachers and students gained useful insight and information about the industries they are entering. After a general overview, groups of students broke into smaller groups organized by career cluster for panel discussions that provided industry overviews, as well as opportunities to ask questions; learn about trends, job outlooks and education needed for specific careers; and connect with successful industry role models. 

“This collaboration offers our members the information they need at a pivotal time in the career path decision-making process,” said Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA. “This program is especially exciting as we entered the 2020-2021 school year in the context of a global pandemic that has affected education at over 4,000 SkillsUSA schools nationwide. We are so impressed with our students as they strive to move forward with their education; many will graduate and our goal is to ensure they are career-ready. We thank our industry partners who are always willing to step up and support student learning through our programs.” 

For more information, contact Alison LaValley, NRCA’s vice president of strategic partnerships and development, at alavalley@nrca.net. 

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Original article source: NRCA