LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – April 16, 2018
The world’s largest skills organization, SkillsUSA, will hold their annual statewide skills competition at SOWELA Technical Community College April 19-20, 2018. The event provides students with an opportunity to highlight their expertise in a variety of occupations such as electronics, computer-aided drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts.
“SOWELA is very proud to host the 2018 SkillsUSA competition. This type of event gives SOWELA students, as well as the students in the other 11 colleges in the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, an opportunity to showcase their skills in various competitions. SkillsUSA helps our students gain valuable experience that will help them become successful in their future careers,”
said SOWELA Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall.
All contests are run with the help of industry, trade associations and labor organizations, testing competencies set by industry. In addition, leadership contestants demonstrate their skills, which includes extemporaneous speaking and conducting meetings by parliamentary procedure.
Top student winners will receive gold, silver and bronze medallions. Many will also receive prizes such as tools of their trade and scholarships to further their careers and education. The Louisiana championships event is for high school and college-level students who are members of SkillsUSA.
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a vital solution to the growing U.S. skills gap. The nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry ensures America has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive. Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, the association serves more than 335,000-member students and instructors each year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. This diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level. SkillsUSA empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens as it improves the quality of our nation’s future skilled workforce. SkillsUSA supports its student members through the development of SkillsUSA Framework skills that include personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Local, state and national championships, designed and judged by industry, set relevant standards for career and technical education and provide recognition opportunities for students. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and workplace credentials through the SkillsUSA Career Essentials program, a cutting-edge solution that defines, implements and measures career readiness skills for students.
About SOWELA Technical Community College
SOWELA Technical Community College provides traditional, distance, and lifelong learning experiences and awards associate degrees, technical diplomas, and certificates that empower learners in transfer, career and technical education to excel as globally competitive citizens. The College has been educating the region’s workforce for 80 years.