RIVEROAK TECH - Local SkillsUSA

Students Participate in National Signing Day
to celebrate CTE Career Commitments
Event recognizes students pursuing a career in the skilled trades.

RIVEROAK Technical College showing students who participated in the signing event. -Photo: Submitted

Live Oak, Florida – Students and teachers at RIVEROAK Technical College teamed up with SkillsUSA and its industry partners to celebrate SkillsUSA National Signing Day on May 4, 2021. Eighteen students at RIVEROAK Technical College were part of the program recognizing local career and technical education students for their dedication to pursuing a career in any of the 130 occupational areas that SkillsUSA serves. This year, more than 1,500 students from 300 SkillsUSA schools are expected to participate nationwide.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has skilled workforce. This nonprofit education association empowers its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens, producing the career-ready graduates who can help close America’s skills gap.

On SkillsUSA National Signing Day, these dedicated students were recognized by their school administrators, teachers, elected officials, SkillsUSA advisors, family and friends for making a decision to pursue a career in the skilled trades, a high demand sector that continues to face an immense labor shortage.

In a style similar to “National Signing Day” events for high school student athletes, the students were applauded as they announced their career plans and sign “letters of intent” for advanced technical training. This recognition for career and technical education students will illuminate the many training programs and career paths for students.

“We would like to thank our community for supporting SkillsUSA National Signing Day,” said Mary Keen, RIVEROAK Technical College Principal “This program celebrates our career and technical education students and acknowledges their commitment to the skilled trades. Because of this support, SkillsUSA National Signing Day will help generate more awareness of the skilled trades as a viable career option. We are very proud of these students and their commitment!”

About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen the nation’s skilled workforce. Driven by employer demand, SkillsUSA helps students develop necessary personal and workplace skills along with technical skills grounded in academics. This SkillsUSA Framework empowers every student to succeed at work and in life, while helping to close the skills gap in which millions of position go unfilled. Through SkillsUSA’s championships program and curricula, employers have ensured schools are teaching relevant technical skills, and with SkillsUSA’s new credentialing process, they can now assess how ready potential employees are for the job. SkillsUSA has more than 372,000 annual members nationwide in high schools, middle schools and colleges, covering over 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and Labor as integral to career and technical education. With the addition of alumni, membership last year was 434,141. SkillsUSA receives in-kind and financial support from more than 650 national partners and has served more than 13.6 million members since 1965. For more information: www.skillsusa.org

-Photo: Submitted

Above Photo: Jesse Moran --Photo: Submitted
Suwannee High School Senior
Recipient of Home Depot Foundation’s SkillsUSA Scholarship
One of five recipients and only recipient in Florida
$5,000.00 Scholarship
Sponsored by Home Depot and Klein Tools

Jesse has attended RIVEROAK Technical College since 9th grade as a dual enrolled student. He has completed the Building Construction program and will complete Masonry upon graduation. He plans to return to RIVEROAK to pursue his Postsecondary Career Certificate in Electricity.

RIVEROAK Technical College’s Brick and Block Masonry students competed in the Statewide SkillsUSA Masonry event on April 14, 2021. Five RIVEROAK students competed and all placed in their respective divisions. Congratulations to the following students:
Secondary Level
1st Place-Niklas Holub
2nd Place-Austin Marlowe
3rd Place-Arron Marlowe
Adult Level
1st Place-Noah Conyers
2nd Place-Dylan Weaver
Both Niklas Holub and Noah Conyers will represent the state of Florida at the National SkillsUSA competition this summer. Derwin Bass is the SkillsUSA Advisor and instructor for the Brick and Block Masonry Program.