VALDOSTA — The SkillsUSA chapter at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College was recently named among the top 24 SkillsUSA chapters nationally as a “Model of Excellence” recipient for the second year in a row. 

The national program recognizes the exceptional integration and application of personal, workplace and technical skills in SkillsUSA chapter activities, college officials said. 

It is one of the highest awards bestowed on chapters by SkillsUSA, which is among the largest student organizations for career and technical education.

The 24 Models of Excellence chapters will participate in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Ky., June 24-28. Activities include finalist interviews, an awards dinner at the Kentucky Derby Museum, and recognition at an awards ceremony in front of more than 12,000 students, instructors and business leaders.

Wiregrass was chosen for the award based on the chapter’s projects throughout the year. Projects included a hurricane relief collection drive, planning and hosting an e-sports gaming competition, Tiaras and Ties project to support individuals with special needs attending the Night to Shine Prom, and the project that was chosen by SkillsUSA nationals, “What’s in your brand? Build a personal brand that will work for you.” 

The “What’s in your brand?” project was created to prepare students in applying for jobs and included mock speed interviews done by community hiring managers, resume reviews and a “polish your brand” interactive session taught the students about how their physical and digital image is perceived by employers, college officials said.

The Models of Excellence program promotes the intentional learning of personal, workplace and technical skills outlined in the SkillsUSA Framework for Student Development. 

Specific characteristics defined within each skill area help ensure tangible benchmarks for student achievement and chapter programming. Achievement is measured by the effectiveness of student efforts in implementing essential workplace skills including personal responsibility, integrity, work ethic and organization in chapter activities. 

“The hands-on approach of this program actualizes the SkillsUSA mission of empowering members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens,” college officials said.

“Wiregrass is honored to have the college’s SkillsUSA chapter named one of the 24 best chapters in the nation for the second year in a row,” Wiregrass Tech President Dr. Tina K. Anderson said. “The chapter has worked diligently this past year with many community service projects in addition to their Skills competition area. The college is excited to have 26 students who earned gold in the state competition and who will represent our college at nationals in June.” 

For more information about programs Wiregrass Tech has to offer, visit www.wiregrass.edu. The college is accepting new students for summer semester. There are two options for summer, classes start May 15 for regular term and May 28 for summer express.