DCA Supports SkillsUSA to Champion Workforce Development, Close Skills Gap
Distribution Contractors Association (DCA), headquartered in Richardson, Texas, has announced support for SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit focused on workforce development. The 2019 sponsorship will support the mission of SkillsUSA and several national programs that help SkillsUSA instructors and their students become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens.
Thanks to this DCA partnership, SkillsUSA will receive support for the 2019 National Leadership and Skills Conference, June 24-28, in Louisville, Kentucky, including a Meet the Employer event, the construction sector of the SkillsUSA Championships, the Awards and Recognition conference publication, a state SkillsUSA director’s breakfast and SkillsUSA Champions magazine.
“SkillsUSA salutes the Distribution Contractors Association for this partnership, which includes support for our workforce development event for middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary students enrolled in public career and technical education programs,” said SkillsUSA’s executive director, Timothy Lawrence. “The SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is the largest hands-on showcase of skilled trades in the nation. It is attended by 18,000 students, teachers, education leaders and representatives from 600 national corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions. SkillsUSA lifts up and recognizes students and provides much-needed support for their teachers to ensure America has a future skilled workforce. We could not deliver our mission without partners like DCA.”
The nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry aims to ensure that the United States has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive. SkillsUSA helps students excel through the development of SkillsUSA Framework skills that include personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. The association serves more than 360,000 member students and instructors per year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. This diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level.
“DCA is very proud to formalize our relationship with SkillsUSA through this partnership,” said DCA executive vice president Rob Darden. “The quality and character of the SkillsUSA students is exactly the type of individuals that thrive in our industry. The underground construction industry has a massive need for skilled workers. There are 2.1 million miles of natural gas pipelines, most of which needs to be replaced and repaired. The job opportunities in the industry for young people today could lead to a very lucrative lifetime career. These are jobs that provide high tech training, rapid advancement, excellent salaries, and an opportunity to build and improve our nation’s infrastructure.”
The DCA is a member-centered, professional trade organization formed in 1961 to facilitate the exchange of information related to the construction and maintenance of gas distribution pipeline systems throughout the United States. DCA serves as a link between members, government agencies, organized labor, and other industry organizations and has built close working relationships with utilities and the associations that represent them. DCA is comprised of nearly 240 companies including local, regional and national contractors and the equipment manufacturers, distributors and other companies that support them in the safe installation of natural gas pipelines and other underground utilities.
For more about the 2019 SkillsUSA Championships, visit: skillsusa.org/competitions/skillsusa-championships/
Tags: DCA, SkillsUSA, workforce training
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