SkillsUSA Championship supports vo-tech training and closing the “skill gap” that exists in U.S. industry.
YouCaring: Click here to help our MST SkillsUSA Team raise enough money to get to the championships in Kentucky.
MANCHESTER, NH – Six Manchester School of Technology cosmetology students are looking for a boost to help send them to a prestigious national competition.
The students were gold medalists in the statewide SkillsUSA competition in the following categories:
- Esthetics Team: Breannah Picard & Caitlin Handy (Bedford High School)
- Cosmetology: Leanne Geiger (Londonderry High School)
- Job Demonstration: Paradise Ducharme ( MST High School)
- Extemporaneous Speech: Alexandra Curran (Bedford High School)
- Customer Service: Natalie Henriquez (Central High School)
Now they need to raise $6,000 to travel to the SkillsUSA National Championships, set for June 22 -28 in Louisville, Kentucky.
MST advisor Mollie Chase said so far they’ve raised $2,377 through a Salon-A-Thon held on April 13, but they’ve decided to launch a You Caring Fundraiser to close the funding gap.
Speaking of gaps, Mike Rowe, of Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” series makes an impassioned plea for closing the skills gap that currently exists in public education, as the need for skilled trade and manufacturing professionals grows.
You can watch it here:
The SkillsUSA Championships showcase the best career and technical students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels. It’s a multi-million dollar event that occupies a space equivalent to 16 football fields. In 2014, there were nearly 6,000 contestants in 98 separate events. Nearly 1,500 judges and contest organizers from labor and management make the national event possible.
It’s an honor and a privilege for our six MST students to have a chance to shine on a national stage, says Chase. Her award-winning students are part of the largest licensed cosmetology public school program in the state, with upwards of 120 cosmetology students.
For a window into the SkillsUSA annual event, check out this YouTube video below, which shows the variety of skills tested and depth of participation in vo-tech education from around the country.
The philosophy of the championships is to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers’ needs.
To help these student achievers get to the national competition, click here.
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