In this update:
2023-2024 Year: SkillsUSA Illinois has ‘No Limits!’
Welcome to the 2023-2024 year! Our membership theme is “SkillsUSA: No Limits” and this theme communicates to members that their future truly has no boundaries. As each student’s skill set expands, so does their understanding of where they are, where they want to be, and the incredible places their future career can take them. This year, I hope you can help each student you teach explore their career passions and the many rich opportunities that await them. Together, we can open doors and guide students along a path to discovering their unique potential and what they are capable of achieving in their lives.
The SkillsUSA Illinois team is excited to continue to help prepare the next generation of the skilled workforce. Last year gave us so much to celebrate including our largest membership and conference in our organization’s history and we hope to continue this momentum into this school year.
There have been several changes at our national level including the launch of a new website, a strategic realignment of our organizational structure, and a refinement of our SkillsUSA mission statement:
SkillsUSA is America’s proud champion of the skilled trades. We’re a student-led partnership of education and industry that’s building the future skilled workforce our nation depends on with graduates who are career ready, day one.
In the state organization, we are beginning development of our new strategic plan for the next five years. We implemented our last plan through a global pandemic, and we know the needs of industry and how we prepare students for their future has changed. We have created opportunities for our students, advisors, alumni, and industry partners to provide feedback around their needs and hopes of SkillsUSA Illinois. Our team will work diligently to compile these and create our plan for the future. Please actively engage in this process and the opportunities to provide your input. SkillsUSA Illinois seeks to be a solution provider and we cannot meet this goal without knowing your needs and how we can best support you.
Calendar of Events:
SkillsUSA Illinois is excited to share our final update to the calendar of events for 2023-2024.
State Qualifying Conferences (Regional Competitions) – Our team is currently working to finalize these dates/locations and will release additional detailed information soon.
Advisor Development Conference
Friday, Sept. 15: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Caterpillar Building L C - Peoria, IL
Registration Deadline: Aug. 30
The SkillsUSA Illinois Advisor Development Conference is an opportunity for advisors from across the state to come together to learn more about how SkillsUSA can help ensure students are ready to enter the workforce and are prepared for future success.
This year's event will focus on understanding the needs of our advisors to develop our organizational plan/vision for the future of SkillsUSA Illinois. This is your opportunity to make an impact on our organizational focus for the next five years. Together we will look into ways to strengthen our programming and enhance the experience for all members, volunteers, and supporters.
Learn more, about registration, and optional hotel blocks at SkillsUSAIllinois.org/adc.
New Advisor Training Next Month
Fri., Sept 8 or Fri., Sept 22: 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. CT | Virtual Delivery
Come learn the essentials of starting your work as a SkillsUSA advisor! Through this professional development built intentionally for advisors in their first, second, or third year, you will be advising a high-quality, engaging chapter in no time. Note that this is an extended session, so securing adequate classroom coverage while you train is suggested.
Learn more at skillsusa.org/events/professional-development. Register at skillsusa.wufoo.com/forms/svsubee07ad5kk.
SkillsUSA Register Security Updates
New Password Policy
SkillsUSA Register, the registration information system for membership and conference registration, will begin requiring users to reset their passwords using the new password character requirement below when trying to log-on even if the current password currently meets the requirement. This applies to all users of the system. Customer Care will be available to support callers if needed. The new password policy requirements are: Minimum 8 characters long (mix of upper/lower case, alphanumeric and special characters).
Restore Members
The Restore Members button has been moved to the top of the ‘Add members’ screen for advisors to easily register returning members and to encourage advisors to use the button.
Reset your password and submit your professional membership today at register.skillsusa.org.
Get ready to L.E.A.D.!
Thurs., Oct. 19 - 7 p.m. – Sat., Oct 21 - 2 p.m. | Peoria, IL
SkillsUSA Illinois fall leadership conference, L.E.A.D., will return this fall (Oct. 19-21) in Peoria, IL.
L.E.A.D. is a two-day employability skill development conference that helps members activate their career and leadership potential through hands-on, high-energy, and motivational programming. L.E.A.D. allows members to increase career readiness through experience, understand how to lead a SkillsUSA Chapter, and gain a set of skills that can be used to lead others. L.E.A.D. is also for career and technical education professionals, offering development around the best practices of career readiness instruction. This year will focus on work-based learning initiatives.
Look for more information on this exciting event coming soon at SkillsUSAIllinois.org/lead.
Advisor Feedback Report: SkillsUSA Illinois Championships 2023
After each state conference, SkillsUSA Illinois seeks to identify, develop, and implement solutions to areas of improvement based on feedback from our advisors. This information is collected through a post-conference survey sent out to advisor two weeks after the conclusion of the event. SkillsUSA Illinois staff has reviewed advisor feedback from this past April’s state Championships and consolidated this into a formal report for the SkillsUSA Illinois Board of Directors. This year, SkillsUSA Illinois is releasing this report to all advisors and it will be used as a focus point during our Advisor Development Conference on Sept. 15.
To read the full report, click here.
SkillsUSA Illinois Recognized for Excellence
The SkillsUSA’s State Standards of Excellence Program experienced growth in its seventh year as 40 states completed the process and received recognition. The purpose of the program is to ensure state associations have policies, procedures, and structure on an annual basis that deliver a high level of service to their membership. This program serves as a system to allow states to benchmark their performance and determine improvements to become the very best organization for their members. State associations are recognized for achieving State Standards of Excellence. SkillsUSA Illinois again reached the pinnacle of achievement by successfully completing the Gold Level requirements, ensuring sustainability, health, and continual growth of the association.
