We defined SkillsUSA as a partnership of students, teachers, and industries, and we
all work together to assure America has a skilled workforce. We need young people
that are engaged in the trades, excited about the trades, have passion about the
trades, and SkillsUSA provides that talent pipeline.
I think the 21st century manufacturing sector is like nothing that people have
any idea. You're more likely to have an iPad than you are a wrench in the 21st
century manufacturing world, and we need men and women with the skills necessary
to move our economy forward. The next generation of workers are coming out of
SkillsUSA.
When you come to SkillsUSA, you see every job that you would walk
into a small town or a city functioning on the competition floor below. If we're
gonna make that small town or city come to light, then we gotta train and develop
people to make that town function. Trade jobs are not desirable anymore. Parents
think, hey, we need people to go do those, but not my kid. We really need to let the
kids themselves decide what they want to do and that's one of the great things
about SkillsUSA, is they get to choose something they're passionate about which
makes them a better employee, because they're doing what they love to do.
I was at Georgia Northwestern my first semester and I was going for the
four-year degree, and I started seeing the top of classes and it really
interests me. I wanted to do something hands-on. One of my buddies he actually
competed here at SkillUSA in Teamworks, so I looked into the two-year
degree in the trade school and found something that I thought I would
actually want to do for the rest of my life. My name is Logan Thomas. I'm 20 years old,
and I'm from Calhoun, Georgia. The Teamworks competition consists of four students:
a carpenter, plumber, electrician, and mason. Those four students work together to do
a project that we change up every year. They have to choose a leader, but the
rest of them have to actually participate in order for that leader to
be successful.
The Teamworks competition really complements what we do in a classroom by
teaching, first and foremost, work ethic. When it comes to the competition, they're
kind of on their own, so that really brings in the leadership skills. Today
was the first day of competition. I was feeling a little bit of a pressure. There were a
few minor mistakes, but we fixed them on the fly, and got everything right. Being
at the national level for the first time, I think we did well. The Teamworks
competition is mostly about working together. It really looks good on your
resume and it pushes you to do better. Once the competition ended, we all
just looked at each other and smiled just to be glad that we finished because
that was the main goal. Competing in Skills really gives you a confidence
boost because it makes you go through all the stages that you would in the
workforce: being interviewed and having to build a resume, and turn those things
in and being judged on those outside of the actual competition. The youngest student
was 13. The oldest student was 73. We're talking about inserting young people into
the talent pipeline but we're also talking about workers that are
re-emerging and looking for new opportunities. Doing construction before
my education, you know, I thought I knew it all. But then I started going to
school for it and I realized I didn't know half as much as I thought I did. I am
actually glad that I waited till later in my life to start school, but, to me getting older
means you get better. My name is Marvin James Pointer and I'm from Cedartown,
Georgia. Being twice the age of my teammates, you know, I kind of feel like a
father figure to them. I just try to be a leader to them and show them the best
way I know how to do something. The biggest thing I would take away from his
competition is just the brotherhood of it. They're good students, hard workers. I
mean, I'm blessed to have them on my team. I think a student competing at SkillsUSA
is sharpening their skills but also really learning kind of how to be an
adult. You're out on your own for a week, you're in a different city, you're
navigating a new place, and I think it's kind of a first step into becoming a bit
more mature. It's life changing for them. We really get to see quite a huge change
in the way students present themselves and carry themselves after being involved
in competitions such as this. I am very proud of this team. They work together
more than any other team I've ever had. It gives me a satisfaction to be able to
see these students graduate and get put into a great career. My hope for my future
is hopefully one day having my own business like my dad. What motivates me
is my family They wan't me to do better in my life then
they did in theirs. My hope for my future is to be like my dad, just pass on the
trade, teach what I've learned, and even add to that. We have a job to do with
parents. We have a job to do with counselors. We have a job to do with the
general public and even the news media to inform people that these jobs exist.
They're well-paying, they'll support your family in your community, and their
technical. All jobs are noble. All jobs are needed. All jobs help a city run. So
we need to get into our high schools, our homes, and talk to the moms and dads and
say, "let me show you how many jobs are out there and how all these jobs work
together." It's not an industry only issue. It's not an education only issue. It's not a
government only issue. It's an us issue. We come together because this is how
life works. And if we don't come together, who else will?