FLATE Attends 2023 SkillsUSA Florida Conference

SkillsUSA Florida is a nonprofit organization that provides career and technical education (CTE) students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in the workforce. The organization offers a variety of programs and services, including competitions, leadership development opportunities, and scholarships.

The 2023 Florida State Leadership and Skills Conference was held on April 10-13 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront in Jacksonville, FL. Ernie Friend, the Executive Director of FLATE, attended the event this year and had an opportunity to meet many young people with incredible workforce skills learned through the SkillsUSA process. Competitions included Automated Manufacturing Technology, CNC, Robotics, Welding, and many technical areas.

Many engineering technology faculty and teachers were in attendance, guiding their students through the competition process, including Sam Ajlani, Ed Fry, and Dale Toney. 

 Sam Ajlani, Program Director of Engineering Technology at the College of Central Florida, was in attendance with two students for the Robotics Urban Search and Rescue competition. The students had to guide the robot through a complex track to rescue two objects in a timed event. The students did a good job during the competition, and Sam was pleased with the results and identified ways to improve if the team was invited to the national competition.

SkillsUSA Florida is a valuable resource for CTE students. The organization offers a variety of programs and services that can help students achieve their goals. If you are a CTE teacher, I encourage you to learn more about SkillsUSA Florida and its available resources.