Consider your SkillsUSA chapter as the training ground for students to learn personal, workplace and technical skills. A chapter should provide rich experiences that prepare students for career success. To make that a reality, students must be the ones organizing and leading the chapter. The instructor, known as a SkillsUSA advisor, provides support and guidance but allows the students to figure things out for themselves. Organizing your chapter management structure is one of the most important steps that you can take to ensure a successful chapter. By following the keys points below, you will set yourself and your students up for success.
It is essential to hold meetings on a regular basis and to inform students when meetings are scheduled. The meeting times and locations can take a variety of forms to meet the needs of your student body. Because of the integral nature of SkillsUSA to CTE programs, many chapters will hold their meetings during the school day within each class period to give everyone an opportunity to be involved. However, it is fine to get creative and hold chapter meetings when they work best for your students and their school day.
Goals for chapter meetings may include:
A Chapter Officer Election Toolkit is available to download on the this page. This toolkit walks advisors through the process of promoting elections, hosting interviews, establishing a Meet the Candidate event and electing chapter officers.
Before beginning the Chapter Officer Election process, ensure candidates fully understand the duties of the office for which they desire to campaign. Below are a few of the roles and duties that officers may perform.
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
SECRETARY
TREASURER
REPORTER
PARLIAMENTARIAN
Serving as a SkillsUSA chapter officer and receiving training is invaluable professional development for students!
Why should your chapter be involved in the full SkillsUSA Program of Work (PoW)? When a chapter provides rich experiences in all six categories, it empowers students to become career-ready. The Program of Work is a road map for the kinds of activities your chapter will conduct every year. From project management to creating a budget, advocacy efforts or event coordination, the Program of Work is a laboratory in which students can experiment, reflect and receive coaching and feedback while gaining knowledge and new transferable skills.
Program of Work Resources
For more information and resources, visit the SkillsUSA Program of Work webpage. The SkillsUSA Program of Work can be found in SkillsUSA Absorb.
This guide has been prepared to assist in conducting a SkillsUSA chapter officer election process in a virtual, in-person or hybrid manner. It is important to honor the work and commitment of the students applying for chapter office and to conduct a process that is fair and equitable for all candidates, and most importantly, identifies the candidates that can best serve your local chapter in advancing in quality while engaging all members.
The actions described in this guide are suggestions and options based on experiences gathered from chapters. Each chapter may need to adjust or modify the actions presented to fit unique needs or time periods. Each chapter should also be familiar with the state officer election process for their specific state, as they may wish to mimic portions of it.
Download the Chapter Officer Election Toolkit.
The PoW features six categories that define areas of focus for a well-run chapter in the same way a well-run business may be divided into different divisions. Each division has specific responsibilities, but all contribute to the overall success of the business. Likewise, SkillsUSA chapters are encouraged to create separate committees for each of the six categories and then facilitate category-specific activities for the whole chapter. When a chapter provides rich experiences in all six categories of the PoW, it empowers students to become career ready. It also allows students the opportunity to practice and perform the Essential Elements of the SkillsUSA Framework and receive feedback to strengthen their skills.
Charge is a chapter officer video series that covers topics that chapter officers will find useful in the day-to-day management of their local SkillsUSA chapters. Each Charge video features an activity guide to guide chapter officer growth and development. Be sure to come back often to (re)Charge on topics with which you need help as a chapter officer. Learn more about Charge.
Elevate is an interactive virtual experience for local chapter officer teams that focuses on building successful chapters by equipping officers with the skills to lead and serve their chapter members.
During SkillsUSA’s annual National Leadership & Skills Conference, SkillsUSA student delegates from across the country elect high school and college/postsecondary representatives to serve as student leaders for SkillsUSA as national officers.
SkillsUSA’s national officers are a group of highly motivated and talented students who have been elected to represent their peers at the national level. These officers have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep commitment to the mission of SkillsUSA. They serve as ambassadors for the organization, leading national events, advocating for SkillsUSA with government officials, and promoting SkillsUSA’s programs and initiatives to students, educators and industry professionals across the country. Learn more about the SkillsUSA National Officer Program.