During the week of Sept. 17-21, SkillsUSA Mississippi joined other SkillsUSA student leaders, advisors, and state directors at the Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI).  Attending the conference from Mississippi were:

• Mississippi Department of Education — Nichole T. Williams (SkillsUSA Mississippi State Director)

• Choctaw County Career & Technical Center  — Journee Banks (Student/State Treasurer) and Ashley Fondren (Advisor)

• Covington County Vocational Center — Bailey Bryant (Student/State President) and Angie Powell (Advisor)

• Franklin County Career & Technical Center  — Andrew Jones (Student/State Parliamentarian) and Kristie Jones (Advisor)

WLTI offers advanced training focused on professionalism, communication, and leadership skills. SkillsUSA members completed weeks of pre-coursework culminating with the opportunity to share their with elected officials. 

During the conference, SkillsUSA Mississippi participated in many student and advisor sessions that included: preparing for legislative visits; CTE hot topics; POWERRFUL Framework stories; and professional member benefits.

One of the many highlights of WLTI was the Congressional visits. The Mississippi SkillsUSA team met with Rep. Michael Guest, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Brookhaven, and Sen. Roger Wicker. The students explained how SkillsUSA is instrumental in closing the skills gap and developing career ready leaders. The advisors were also instrumental in expressing the needs of teachers and how legislative support is crucial to CTE success.

WLTI concluded with the National Statesman Awards. As a result of intensive coursework and testing, both Kristie Jones and Andrew Jones earned CTE Knowledge Certification and SkillsUSA Framework Certification. After an intensive on-site interview process, Bailey Bryant, Journee Banks, Angie Powell, and Angie Williams joined the ranks of SkillsUSA National Statesman.