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Advisor Update

August 2026

Happy New Year! Well, happy new start to the SkillsUSA Membership Year. 😉

It’s Back to School time! I am so excited for this upcoming year with SkillsUSA. See below for some updates and information to help you prepare for the start of the year.

Back to School Resources from SkillsUSA:

Our national office has put together some excellent resources for teachers to use in the classroom. Check them out here: https://www.skillsusa.org/advisors/back-to-school/

While you’re at it, I highly encourage you to participate in the SkillsUSA Back-to-School Display Challenge that kicks off August 3.

New This Year: SkillsUSA Point — Register Today!

Taking place Thursday, Sept. 3, from 1–4 p.m. ET, SkillsUSA Point will bring advisors together for an engaging afternoon of inspiration, important updates, valuable resources and strategies to help them prepare for a successful year.

Designed for both new and experienced advisors, this event will help educators navigate the year ahead, strengthen their chapters and make the most of SkillsUSA opportunities. Best of all, there is no cost to attend.

Find more information and register today here. Registration closes Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Then stay online for a State specific meeting with me! It will be the first of four Zoom meetings I’ll hold to share more information about what’s happening in SkillsUSA Michigan and preparing for upcoming events and conferences. You can attend the state specific meeting using this Zoom link.

Register for SkillsUSA Point

Additional Advisor Training

In addition to SkillsUSA Point, this year we have two training options for advisors. Visit our resources page for more information and to sign up.

Advisor Zoom Series:

This virtual meeting series kicks off with SkillsUSA Point and is designed for both new and returning advisors, to deliver need-to-know information in small chunks during the timeframe you need to implement them. The sessions will have some content and then time for questions and answers. Full calendar of Zoom meetings will be published on the SkillsUSA MI website.

New Advisor Workshop:

This one-day in-person training is designed to deliver everything you need to know to have a successful year as a new chapter advisor. It will take place on October 8, 2026 in Ypsilanti. Registration is $40 and includes lunch, parking, and materials. Open to advisors with two years or less SkillsUSA experience. The registration deadline is October 3rd.

News & Updates

Regional Representatives:

This past July your regional representatives met in Lansing to prepare for the upcoming year of Regional Conferences. Together, we created a shared vision for 2029. Look out for new and engaging resources on regional conferences as we get closer to February.

New Region 1 Junior Representative: I am also excited to announce that Kortney Thumme has agreed to take the role of Junior Representative for Region 1.

Technical Committees:

Technical Committee Meetings: You’re invited to attend the technical committee planning meetings this fall on October 15 and 16 in Lansing. I’ll be sharing the schedule for these days soon. Attend to learn more about the competition, find out how you can assist, and meet the committees organizing this year’s competitions.
Technical Committee Chair Openings: Know an industry or business professional looking to give back in these fields? Please connect them with me!
- Video Production
- Early Childhood Education
- Power Equipment Technology
- Robotics & Automation

Advisor Information:

This year your advisor information, Code of Ethics, Intent to Compete, and Lead Advisor information will all be submitted via online forms. Please be on the lookout for emails from [email protected] with these forms in the next weeks! We appreciate your assistance in updating our records in a timely manner.

All lead advisors will be mailed the SkillsUSA Michigan Advisor Manual along with several posters. There have been several updates to the Advisor Manual and I look forward to hearing your feedback on its continual improvement.

All non-lead advisors will be mailed a Calendar and Road to Competition poster to hang in classrooms. If you wish to download the Advisor Manual, it will be found on our website.

Additional Resources

Commercial Roofing resources:

The NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association) offers two free resources for schools interested in helping students explore careers in commercial roofing: TRAC and the Hands-On Training Plans.

TRAC (Training for Roof Application Careers) is a free, turnkey curriculum that introduces students to the roofing industry through self-paced online training covering safety, materials, and installation basics. Learn more about TRAC here.

NRCA also offers Hands-On Training Plans featuring narrated lessons, step-by-step videos, and companion PDFs. Designed for instructors with little or no roofing experience, these resources make it easy to deliver engaging, hands-on instruction. The training aligns with the Commercial Roofing competition at SkillsUSA.

To further support student learning, NRCA can help connect schools with local roofing contractors for mentorship and hands-on training opportunities.

If you are interested in learning more about these resources, please contact June Brentanos([email protected]) or Adam Collins ([email protected]) at NRCA.

Elevate: Join this high-quality virtual chapter officer team training to get your chapter prepared for a great year! It will be held on September 9, 2026. Find out more here.

Membership: The new membership year begins on August 1. Membership is due Jan. 15th or before you can register for any conference or event. Please follow this link SkillsUSA-register.org to get registered or to find out more.