MITCHELL — Hundreds of students and their advisers from around South Dakota descended on Mitchell Technical College Thursday for two days of career and school networking and skills competitions.
The gathering is all part of the SkillsUSA South Dakota state leadership conference, which is returning to the local technical college campus for the first time in nine years.
“It’s going well,” Nikki Mark, state director for SkillsUSA South Dakota. “This is the year-end culmination for our students and what they’re been doing the entire year. This is where they come to compete and show off their hard work.”
Mark said there are about 350 high school and technical college students from around the state taking part in the activities, which include college and career fairs and a variety of competitive contests that allow students to vie for medals, scholarship money and a chance to move on to competition at the national level in June in Atlanta, Georgia.
Categories in the competition portion of the event include welding sculpture, technical computer applications and industrial motor control, among many others.
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Throughout the conference students, advisers, professional member and volunteers work together to create and foster a competitive and professional development conference. With around 50 competitions ranging from technical skills to leadership skills, every student has a chance to represent the state of South Dakota at the national conference, according to the organization website.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel. Nearly 12 million students have participated in SkillsUSA since its founding in 1965.
Mark said South Dakota has about 25 chapters in South Dakota and the state conference is an important part of its year.
“(Students) are able to learn through workshops when not competing, as well as do some community service and visit with colleges and businesses and industry,” Mark said.
The state conference host site rotates among the state’s technical colleges every three years, with Western Dakota Technical College wrapping up its latest hosting run last year. Mitchell Technical College, which last hosted the conference nine years ago, is slated to host the conference through 2026.
Whitney Bruinsma, student success coach and career services coordinator for the school as well as a coordinator for the state conference and board member, said hosting the conference is a great chance to expose potential future students to the school's programs.
"Technically skilled individuals are in high demand to fill critical workforce needs in South Dakota and the nation. SkillsUSA participants are high school and college students who shine in skillsets that lend well to the state and region’s highest needs areas in industry. Being on our campus allows them to become exposed to the instructors, facilities, labs and state-of-the-art equipment that they would use in careers in each of these areas," Bruinsma said.
The conference is really a great way for the students to explore their options for further education or for future employment in the South Dakota workforce.
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Jason Juhnke, director for the school's heating and cooling program and a local SkillsUSA adviser and state board member, said the experience should serve the visiting students well in whatever their future endeavors may be.
"It is our hope that, by being on our campus, submersed in an environment rich with the tools and connections necessary to build satisfying careers in the technical trades, they will be inspired to continue to hone their skills at Mitchell Tech and put them to work in South Dakota and beyond," Juhnke said.
It’s a busy couple of days, with the college and career fair and competitions held both Thursday and Friday. Friday will see the closing ceremonies along with an awards presentation for competing students. Doug Voelzke, with Doug’s Custom Paint and Body, will be the keynote speaker for the closing ceremonies.
Mark said the awards ceremony is always a highlight of the event. It’s a way to highlight the work students have done on their project over the past year.
“It’s high-energy, we get the music going and everyone is excited and there’s anticipation. We try to make it as fun as possible, whether they win or lose becomes secondary,” Mark said.
There are many benefits to attending the conference, Mark said, from networking to scoping out future college or workforce plans. She said that there should be something for everyone to take in, bring back to their chapters and share with their fellow students.
“I really hope they are able to take in some of the learning from this, whether it’s learning something from other students they met here by networking or learning more about the competition or skills as well,” Mark said. “Hopefully it gives them a little step in their future career plans, or post-secondary plans.”
More information on SkillsUSA South Dakota can be found at skillsusasd.org.
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