SkillsUSA TECHSPO & ASCA No Limits

The summer months have been productive for Jeri Lamerton, Lamerton Strategic Communications and DCA Executive Vice President Rob Darden on the workforce development front. They recently attended a pair of conferences with great potential to reach students in search of a fulfilling career.

SkillsUSA TECHSPO
In June, Lamerton and Darden attended the 58th Annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, to take part in SkillsUSA TECHSPO, the largest technical exposition in the nation.  The expo featured 159 exhibitors from industry and education, all of whom wanted to meet and interact with the nation’s most highly skilled students.  The 2022 event was the first in-person event in three years. Registration topped 13,000, including as many as 8,000 students.

DCA exhibited with several of its member companies, including Ditch Witch, Michels, Miller Pipeline, and Centuri.  Vermeer also sponsored an exhibit in the manufacturing area. The DCA display showcased a new backdrop with the tagline, “I bet you didn’t know she makes six figures,” which attracted considerable attention.  During the trade show, video screens played the 2021 BuildWitt video, the President’s video, and the DCA/Mike Rowe commercial.

Lamerton and Darden said they had productive discussions with students about trade skills, opportunities with DCA member companies, and how lucrative the industry can be.  They also passed out new workforce development flyers and 500 squishy hard hat helmets.  

The event was also the site of the SkillsUSA Championships, where 5,055 state champions tested their already-powerful skills in 108 career competition events.  The Championships were held across three giant floors within the Georgia World Congress Center, covering 1.79 million square feet — that’s a total of 31 football fields or 41 acres. DCA is currently exploring options to become more involved with the SkillsUSA competitions at the local and national levels to promote pipeline industry-related skills.  As Darden noted, “That means helping more students experience the magic of career and technical education.”

Darden said  he would like to get more members involved in SkillsUSA TECHSPO in the future.   

ASCA No Limits
In July, Lamerton and Darden traveled to Austin, Texas, for the American School Counselors Association (ASCA) No Limits conference.  The conference brings together over 3,500 professional school counselors from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary, as well as counselor educators, supervisors, and graduate students, to expand their professional networks.

This was a great audience to talk to and discuss the trades.  Many knew little about the opportunities in underground construction and eagerly sought information.  The new backdrop from the SkillsUSA show was also huge success at this event, drawing lots of praise for the subtle placement of “she” over the image of a fully covered welder hard at work.  DCA handed out new flyers and business cards that included the “Let’s Get to Work” website address.

Michels exhibited at the show and Vermeer showcased their drill simulator and held daily drawings for a Vermeer speaker.  The contacts accumulated from the drawings received an email from DCA, Vermeer, and Michels.