Training institute sponsoring Skills USA
The International Training Institute is co-sponsoring Thursday’s welding
competition, which is part of the event’s annual championship competition.
The Skills USA National Leadership and Skills Conference, going on now through Friday in Kansas City, Mo., has a new sponsor: the International Training Institute.
The ITI is co-sponsoring Thursday’s welding competition, which is part of the event’s annual championship competition. The new partnership will allow the training institute and Skills USA to exchange information, track program graduates, and heighten awareness of the union HVAC and sheet metal industry, officials said.
“Skills USA teaches the skills we are looking for, and it’s not just welding,” said Larry Lawrence, an instructional development specialist with ITI. “It’s a win-win for both sides. Students come out of Skills USA with the leadership skills, a working knowledge and their safety training.”
The economic downturn has made recruiting apprentices difficult, Lawrence said. Working with Skills USA will make that much easier.
“Right now, we don’t know who we’re getting until they arrive,” he added. “We can get someone from a technical academy who has hands-on talent but no leadership skills. Or we can get someone who went to college and can’t apply what they’ve learned. In the Skills USA instance, most of their programs are industry-driven programs, and they have experts who advise the students, so we get the best of both worlds.”
The International Training Institute is operated by the Sheet Metal Workers union and the Sheet Metal and Air-Conditioning Contractors' National Association.
The Skills USA National Leadership and Skills Conference, going on now through Friday in Kansas City, Mo., has a new sponsor: the International Training Institute.
The ITI is co-sponsoring Thursday’s welding competition, which is part of the event’s annual championship competition. The new partnership will allow the training institute and Skills USA to exchange information, track program graduates, and heighten awareness of the union HVAC and sheet metal industry, officials said.
“Skills USA teaches the skills we are looking for, and it’s not just welding,” said Larry Lawrence, an instructional development specialist with ITI. “It’s a win-win for both sides. Students come out of Skills USA with the leadership skills, a working knowledge and their safety training.”
The economic downturn has made recruiting apprentices difficult, Lawrence said. Working with Skills USA will make that much easier.
“Right now, we don’t know who we’re getting until they arrive,” he added. “We can get someone from a technical academy who has hands-on talent but no leadership skills. Or we can get someone who went to college and can’t apply what they’ve learned. In the Skills USA instance, most of their programs are industry-driven programs, and they have experts who advise the students, so we get the best of both worlds.”
The International Training Institute is operated by the Sheet Metal Workers union and the Sheet Metal and Air-Conditioning Contractors' National Association.
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