MTI Wins Most SkillsUSA Medals 10th year in a row!
For the tenth straight year, Manatee Technical Institute students won more medals than any other school in the nation at the 49th Annual SkillsUSA Championships in Kansas City.
To put it in perspective, there are about 10,000 school districts and 4,000 tech centers, colleges and universities in the U.S.; some have one or two national champions from career and technical student organization competitions. MTI had 22 national champions in SkillsUSA alone, bringing home 7 gold, 11 silver and 4 bronze medals.
“MTI aims to produce graduates who are able to earn national industry-recognized credentials,” explained MTI director Mary Cantrell, PhD. “When they win against students from other schools and states, it’s a good indication that MTI is doing a lot right.”
The SkillsUSA Championships are a showcase for the best career and technical education students in the nation. Students had to have won first in the state to qualify. Only two percent of SkillsUSA members make it to nationals.
Students work against the clock and each other, proving their expertise in occupational areas like business management and technology, engineering technology/design, firefighting, nail care, and web design. According to students who compete, the SkillsUSA Championships are like the Olympics for career and technical education.
Overall, Florida students won the most medals of all the states in the 2013 Championships. MTI students alone won 22 percent of them.
MTI Most SkillsUSA Medals 10 Years in a Row, p. 2
SkillsUSA is partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. 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.
The SkillsUSA Championships began in 1967. Students from every state and Puerto Rico compete in skill, technical and leadership fields. Judges and contest organizers from labor and management make the national contests possible. Contest competencies are set by industry.
The Championships were held June 24 through 28. The theme for this year’s contests was Champions at Work Prepared with the Skills America Needs.
The community may go to https://www.skillsusa.org to see a complete list of winners.
