STEFAN CZAPOROWSKI
For the past two years, Westfield Vocational Technical High School has been a member of SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit organization that serves students in over 17,000 public high school classrooms across the country. These schools are comprehensive high schools with career and technical curricula, regional career and technical education schools, and two-year colleges. SkillsUSA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and is cited as a “successful model of employer-driven youth development training program” by the U.S. Department of Labor. WVTHS chose to be a part of Skills USA because its mission is to empower students to become world-class workers and responsible American Citizens. This mission is one the SkillsUSA and WVTHS share.
With one hundred thirty trade, technical and skilled service occupational titles represented in the curriculum, SkillsUSA requires students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real life experiences in the construction, manufacturing, transportation, health sciences, information technology, communications, personal services, hospitality, public safety and engineering technology industries. But SkillsUSA is so much more than just the trades, the curriculum also provides quality education experiences in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills while emphasizing high ethical standards, superior work skills, and life-long education. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free-enterprise system and involvement in community service.
Already, WVTHS membership in SkillsUSA has had a positive impact on our students and our school. Student members of SkillsUSA meet regularly with elected student officers and faculty advisors to plan activities like community service events, and the showcase activity of the SkillsUSA organization, the SkillsUSA Championship. The annual SkillsUSA Championship begins with contests in the classrooms with the winners advancing to local and state competitions.
Forty-eight Westfield Vocational Technical High School students representing ten career technical programs competed in the local SkillsUSA competition this past March. Several of our students earned medals. For Computer Maintenance Technology, our students swept the category. Ben Gillespie won the Gold, Meghan Barnes won the Silver, and Terry Taskey took home the Bronze. In Carpentry, Rob Rivest won the Silver and Antonio Rivera won the Bronze. In Precision Machining Technology, Megan Ilnicky won the Bronze and for Nurse Assisting, Vitaliy Molokvas took home the Silver. Gold and Silver Medal winners advance to the State Leadership and Skills Conference on April 25-27. At the state level, our four remaining competitors will take part in hands on competition in front of a panel of judges. From there, students move on to the annual national level SkillsUSA Championships, where over 5,600 students compete in ninety-four occupational and leadership skill areas.
We wish the best of luck to Ben Gillespie, Meghan Barnes, Rob Rivest, and Vitaliy Molokvas at the State Leadership and Skills Conference. Ultimately, all forty-eight of our competitors deserve congratulations! I would also like to recognize Mrs. Maureen Baillargeon from our Allied Health Program and Mr. Matthew Gomes in Construction Technology for keeping our school involved in what has already become a series of valuable experiences for our students.
Stefan Czaporowski
Principal
Westfield Vocational Technical High School
