The week of February 2-6 will officially be SkillsUSA week for CISD high schools. Students involved in CTE programs will be given the chance to compete with different schools and participate in activities at the local and state levels while showcasing the importance of skilled trades. Each day for that week will contain a different theme with different activities.

SkillsUSA is a workforce development organization that empowers students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. Those involved gain access to special hands-on experience that they normally wouldn't get in a traditional classroom setting.

“Getting involved in SkillsUSA allows students to utilize the skills learned in the classroom so that they have an idea of how to use them in real life,” industrial tech teacher Ronald Woychesin said.

According to CTE teachers, SkillsUSA is a great way for students to obtain interactive training for their chosen careers. This training will prepare them for working in those trade jobs or attending trade schools in the future.

“SkillsUSA prepares CTE students for working in the real world through competitions, events, conferences, programs and more,” animation teacher Freddy Arteaga said. “These help students grow their personal and professional skills in the trade they have chosen.”

Some CTE students have reflected on how SkillsUSA has improved their trade skills while giving them a chance to practice them outside the classroom. They say the the experience 

“SkillsUSA gives me a chance to test my skills outside of the classroom, and get to the level I’m at,” senior architecture student Willem Gerro said. “It gives us real world experience and it gives us a taste of real architectural plans,” he added.

Other students think that SkillsUSA has helped them improve in terms of self confidence. Those students claimed that the organization programs had boosted their determination and self-esteem, as well as their personal work ethic.

“SkillsUSA helped me to realize that I can do anything if I put my mind to it and am serious about it,” senior animation and audio video student Aiden Sheikh said. “I definitely see myself attending flight school and taking Lonestar EMT driver classes.”

As SkillsUSA Week inches closer, we wish our CTE students luck with the upcoming trade-based activities. Go get ‘em Tigers!

Written by Chimdiadi Nwamba