Over the past four years, West Branch High School’s SkillsUSA program has evolved from a fledgling chapter into a robust, student-driven organization that has impacted learners and engaged the broader community.
Through the chapter’s steady growth, SkillsUSA at West Branch has created practical learning opportunities in applied sciences and meaningful connections between the school’s career and technical education (CTE) curriculum, the local business community and its students.
Randy Robertson, West Branch industrial technology teacher and SkillsUSA advisor, has grown the chapter into nearly 40 students, accounting for almost 20 percent of enrolled students.
“For a lot of kids, this allows them to have something to be a part of where they can learn how to be a part of something bigger,” Robertson said. “I’ve seen them develop discipline, leadership and I’ve seen growth in maturity, how they interact with other people and how they present themselves.”
SkillsUSA is one of nine Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) in Iowa that align with career and technical education activities as an integral part of the instructional program. CTSOs provide opportunities to develop and refine the skills students need in their chosen occupational area.
SkillsUSA is a national organization that partners with students, teachers, and industry professionals to ensure America has a skilled workforce. It provides students in CTE programs with opportunities to develop personal, workplace and technical skills through leadership activities, community service and competitive events.
“This chapter’s growth reflects the impact of a strong CTE program paired with meaningful community and employer engagement,” said Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Chief Cale Hutchings. “SkillsUSA provides students a structured way to develop technical competence, employability skills and leadership experience.
Current West Branch SkillsUSA President Alison Gade, a senior, is one of the students who has been part of the chapter from its inception and has helped shepherd its growth, while also expanding her interest in CTE and postsecondary opportunities.
The field trips and job-exposure opportunities offered through her SkillsUSA chapter have been critical to Alison in determining her future career path as she has learned more about architecture, engineering and surveying. After enrolling in a construction course at Kirkwood Community College, she has begun a regular job shadow experience in the field and plans to continue her education at Kirkwood and Iowa State. Through these valuable experiences, she and her classmates saw a variety of other career avenues in that field
“It’s important to introduce the trades for everyone, knowing there are other routes, especially for people who maybe don’t want to go to a four-year college,” Alison said. “On a lot of the visits, they let you do hands-on stuff so you can actually experience it and try it out and see if it is something you like.”
For Hunter Hamer, a sophomore and the West Branch SkillsUSA chapter treasurer, SkillsUSA helped him realize career opportunities in 3D printing, which had been a hobby of his.
“Teaching people about different trades opens so many doors,” Hunter said. “I just did 3D printing at home for fun and never thought I would be able to do anything with it. But being able to compete in 3D printing through SkillsUSA opened me up to more things you can do in that field.”
SkillsUSA offers opportunities for students to apply their classroom learning in competitions and challenges, such as the upcoming State Conference on March 5-6 in Des Moines. These opportunities not only drive engagement in SkillsUSA’s programming but also return a competitive spirit to the classroom, with students eager to perfect a skill and place higher in competitions.
“I see that kids are taking my classes because of SkillsUSA,” Robertson said. “Enrollment in my classes has been really good, and the competitions that we go to are huge. They want to work a little harder in my class, are excited about possibly qualifying for state and want to stick together on a project. Those kinds of things give me goosebumps.”
The growth of SkillsUSA in West Branch has largely been student-driven, as Robertson, in his advisory role, has worked to create a student-led organization through SkillsUSA’s leadership.
“One thing SkillsUSA talks about at their conferences is to make sure that you're not doing everything for these kids, make sure that they're doing it now,” Robertson said. “They might fall flat on their face, and we have a little bit sometimes. But I think it's a good turning point for them, and I think they really look forward to leading themselves.”
The chapter’s students recently hosted their annual chili dinner fundraiser, which raised approximately $3,700 to fund the chapter's operations, career site visits and participation in competitions. Additionally, students also regularly engage with local community and business leaders to raise funds and encourage them to invest in SkillsUSA and its programming.
Alison noted that she and other SkillsUSA members use events like the chili dinner and their annual Teacher Appreciation Potluck to educate the community about SkillsUSA efforts. The chapter also performs regular community service in West Branch and surrounding communities with various service projects to create awareness about SkillsUSA
“We talk about culture, developing a culture within your SkillsUSA chapter and keeping parents, school leaders and the community informed of the things we’re doing,” Robertson said. “We had over $1,000 worth of checks from donors and businesses just from the chili dinner to help us get to state competitions. So the word is getting out.”
That word has been particularly appealing to local businesses as they consider their future workforce and the critical need to keep many of the skilled students Robertson has trained within the community. Robertson has worked with many of those companies to create apprenticeship programs and plan career exposure visits for his students and SkillsUSA members.
Creating that collaborative environment has been a key component of SkillsUSA’s and other CTSOs’ success in West Branch, both in the community and within the halls of the schools for a smaller school district like West Branch.
“We’re sharing kids with a lot of different programs, and we have to make it work as a community and a group,” Robertson said.
This overriding sense of community, combined with the student-centered approach, has not only driven the growth of West Branch’s SkillsUSA chapter but also embodied SkillsUSA’s mission of empowering students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members.
Visit the Department’s CTSO webpage to learn more about the careers CTSOs align with and how CTSOs connect education and careers, motivate students, build education and business partnerships, provide career guidance and counseling, encourage higher level academics, and build interpersonal and employability skills of students.