Safelite AutoGlass Partners with SkillsUSA and Launches Technician Recruitment Program
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ten million new skilled workers are needed in the U.S. by 2020, and the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services is helping fill the gap. Safelite AutoGlass® has become an Official Partner of SkillsUSA, a leading national career and technical education association.
Originally known as the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America, SkillsUSA serves more than 300,000 students enrolled in technical, skilled, and service occupation training programs each year. The curriculum emphasizes total quality at work – high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education, and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free-enterprise system and involvement in community service.
As a result of the partnership, Safelite will help SkillsUSA with educational workshops, sharing expertise in resume-building and job interviewing skills. Additionally, Safelite’s local operations managers will be able to work with instructors from the roughly 17,000 SkillsUSA chapters throughout the country to recruit highly skilled, professional vehicle glass technician trainees to support the company’s continued business growth. Students completing SkillsUSA’s automotive services classes will be a natural fit.
“At Safelite, we focus on our people as a key part of our business strategy and seek to hire top talent, which provides us the ultimate competitive advantage,” said Natalie Crede, Safelite’s senior vice president of people and leadership development. “We are thrilled to partner with a trusted education organization such as SkillsUSA. Not only do they teach students valuable technical skills in their desired profession, they also invest in cultivating and growing the student’s employability skills. They grow ‘Champions’ that enter the workforce as well-rounded young adults. Upon graduation they exhibit strong leadership skills and an extensive community service portfolio – all things we look for in our employees.”
More than 16,000 teachers and school administrators serve as professional SkillsUSA members and they provide SkillsUSA programs and activities to their students. In addition, more than 600 corporations, trade associations and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level through financial aid, in-kind contributions, and involvement of their people in SkillsUSA activities. Many more businesses and corporations support SkillsUSA at the state and local levels.
To learn more, watch the SkillsUSA video.
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA helps students discover and grow their career passions. As a nationwide partnership of students, instructors and industry working together, SkillsUSA works to ensure America has a skilled workforce. It helps every student excel. The nationwide career and technical education student organization annually serves more than 320,000 high school, college and postsecondary students—and their instructors—in technical, skilled, and service occupation instructional programs. Career and technical education is learning that works for America. SkillsUSA has the active support of more than 600 corporations, trade associations, business and labor unions at the national level. Over 11.2 million people have been annual members of SkillsUSA since its founding as the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America in 1965. SkillsUSA programs teach leadership, citizenship and character development to complement technical skill training. The organization emphasizes respect for the dignity of work, ethics, workmanship, scholarship and safety. For more information, go to www.skillsusa.org.