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Throughout the year, SkillsUSA Louisiana coordinates the efforts of hundreds of individuals and organizations for the Louisiana SkillsUSA Championships. Every occupational and leadership contest has a technical committee of experts drawn from the ranks of business, industry and organized labor who set contest regulations which become the skill standards for SkillsUSA Louisiana instructors to follow. Technical committees also procure the necessary materials, funds and personnel needed to conduct each contest.


  State director, Larry Rabalais
 

More than 10,000 local contests begin the competitive process. Local champions move on to regional, state and national competitions. In high school and college/technical divisions, winners' achievements are recognized through the presentation of gold, silver and bronze medallions at the Awards Ceremony concluding the Louisiana Leadership and Skills Conference. Competitions are held in 61 skill contests and 13 leadership contests such as job interview and prepared speech.

More than 40 local contests begin the competitive process. Local champions move on to district and then the state competitions. In high school and college/technical divisions, winners' achievements are recognized through the presentation of gold, silver and bronze medallions at the Awards Ceremony concluding the Louisiana Leadership and Skills Conference.

Through its communications and public affairs operations, SkillsUSA Louisiana launches a "media blitz" to maximize public exposure to career opportunities in the skilled trades and to the training programs that prepare tomorrow's globally competitive work force.

The Louisiana SkillsUSA Championships is the state's greatest showcase of vocational training. The standards promulgated by the industry representatives who design the competitions quickly become the yardstick of preparation for teachers and students in local SkillsUSA chapters across Louisiana. Industry seminars and pre- and post-contest discussions with students and instructors during the state conference provide additional exchange between business people and educators concerning training standards.

While the Louisiana SkillsUSA Championships hardly encompasses the total SkillsUSA program, the competitive and public relations assets inherent to the Championships draw to Lake Charles, LA an audience of business leaders, educators and government officials involved or interested in Louisiana work force development. As success in SkillsUSA Louisiana's fund raising for the Louisiana Skills Championships frees money from Conference operating cost obligations, the opportunities to create programs, which add quality and magnitude to the state conference and SkillsUSA Championships become more accessible.

National experts in each field set standards and evaluate the contestants. The skill standards are published and are the closest thing there is to a national set of industry standards for training tomorrow's skilled work force. Updated and distributed to nearly 14,000 educators every three years, the standards are used in teaching also for local, state and national skill competitions.

We'll continue to highlight the achievements of our competitors and competitions through such vehicles as trade and education shows, goodwill tours, posters, SkillsUSA's Web page, collegiate and high school newsletters, trade magazines, to maximize public exposure to career opportunities in the skilled trades and to the training programs that prepare tomorrow's competitive work force.