May 2005
Contact: Dorothy Wills-Raftery
(845) 255-1400 xt. 1209

Ulster BOCES Students Demonstrate Occupational and Leadership Skills at Statewide SkillsUSA Championships

Demonstrating their occupational and leadership skills, 33 Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Education students proudly exhibited their knowledge during the recent New York State SkillsUSA Championships in Syracuse. The Championships, held annually, showcase projects created by the best career and technical students in the State. It also serves to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers’ needs.

“The SkillsUSA program is an asset to the students and the community,” says Howard Korn, director of the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center. “The competition builds and reinforces the individual’s self-confidence, work attitude, and communication skills while promoting involvement in community service activities.”

Top winners from Ulster BOCES at this year’s SkillsUSA championship were Tracy Aguero, a senior at Wallkill High School, who won a first place award in Data Entry, and Bradley German, a senior at Saugerties High School, who won a second place award in the Power Equipment Technology competition.

SkillsUSA (formerly VICA) is a national organization serving more than a quarter-million high school and college students and professional members who are enrolled in technical, skilled, service, and health occupations. The program provides quality educational experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship, and character development. It emphasizes total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education, and pride in the dignity of work. For more information about SkillsUSA, please visit the organization’s website at www.SkillsUSA.org.