The conference, taking place June 19-24 in Kansas City, MO, is hosted by SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit organization serving high school and college/postsecondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. The annual conference and competitions are held to develop future leaders and help the students prepare for their intended careers. SkillsUSA Contests begin locally and continue through the state levels, leaving only the most outstanding students to compete in the Championships during the SkillsUSA NLSC.
Cengage Learning will be playing a significant role in this year’s event – with representatives from three areas of the company attending and showing support for students in the automotive, building trades and cosmetology competitions.
Delmar, part of Cengage Learning and a leading provider of learning solutions for ongoing career development and education, and Chilton, also part of Cengage Learning and an established leader in reference sources for automotive professionals and Do-It- Yourself automotive enthusiasts, will serve as part of the Automotive Service Technology Committee.
In this role, representatives from both Chilton and Delmar will be responsible for totaling student scores from the various workstations, and will award the top three winners of each competition with a gift card and ASE test preparation materials.
Delmar will also offer support to the winners of the Motorcycle Technology, Automotive Refinishing Technology, Diesel Equipment and Collision Repair competitions by awarding prizes to the top placing students.
The Chilton team will also be providing ChiltonPRO, a tool that professional technicians frequently use to help diagnose and repair vehicles, to all high school students in the Automotive Service Technology Competition. Students will be given a test, designed by Chilton, and will need to utilize the ChiltonPRO system to find the correct answers.
As in previous years, Delmar will be the exclusive sponsor of the prestigious Advisor of the Year award, given to recognize and honor a dedicated career and technical education instructor. All candidates for the award have won qualifiers at the state and regional levels, and have been interviewed by Delmar representatives. The national winner will be announced and recognized during the SkillsUSA opening ceremony.
“It is competitions like these that excite students and motivate them for their future careers,” said Alar Elken, executive vice president, career education & training solutions, Cengage Learning. “Cengage Learning is committed to lifelong learning and the skills-based professional, making us an ideal partner for the event. We are proud to support the SkillsUSA NLSC and will continue to provide career and technical students with the materials, resources and motivation to master the skills necessary to become successful in their respective trades.”
For more information on Cengage Learning, and all available career and professional products and services, please visit www.cengage.com.
SkillsUSA is a national partnership of students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA chapters help students preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations to excel. The national SkillsUSA Championships is an industry- driven competition to improve education. Over 1,100 corporations, trade associations, businesses and unions are partners at the national level. For more information visit www.skillsusa.org.
