SkillsUSA Names LTC Dean as Post Secondary State Advisor of the Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7/22/2019
CLEVELAND, WI —
Lakeshore Technical College Dean of Advanced Manufacturing, Agriculture, Automotive, and Engineering Sheila Schetter received the SkillsUSA Post Secondary State Advisor of the Year award at the SkillsUSA state conference recently held in Madison.
SkillsUSA is an event which challenges students in trade, industrial, technical, and health occupation programs to apply their classroom learning in a competitive environment. Students focus on using their technical skills along with communication and troubleshooting skills as they compete against students from other technical colleges around the state.
As LTC’s SkillsUSA lead advisor, Schetter was selected based on her achievements including student and professional membership growth in LTC’s chapter, growth in new programs, and student success at state and national competitions.
“It’s exciting to see Sheila recognized for her accomplishments in elevating our involvement and success in SkillsUSA. She is also a great example of the exceptional leadership efforts our team invests in preparing our students to succeed in the workplace,” said LTC President Dr. Paul Carlsen.
In 2015, Schetter initiated the SkillsUSA program at LTC. Four of 15 members competed, all in one program category. With Schetter’s strong leadership, LTC’s involvement has grown significantly. Membership has more than doubled to 38 members involved in eight program categories. Students have successfully competed at both state and national levels in 2017 and 2019, earning top five placements nationally. This year, 14 students competed in seven different competitions at the state level, with six students earning gold and silver medals, and the opportunity to compete at the national level. One student was able to attend the national competition; he placed fourth in the CNC Milling Specialist category.
“Sheila truly enjoys seeing the students’ growth, excitement, and anticipation of this event each year,” said Tom Wozniak, state director for SkillsUSA-Wisconsin collegiate postsecondary. “She believes in its mission of building tomorrow’s workforce through leadership and skills development, and is a strong advocate of industry and education partnerships. I look forward to watching LTC’s involvement continue to grow under her leadership.”
Schetter brought 20 years of experience in manufacturing to LTC when she joined the college eight years ago. She is an active member of the Sheboygan Area School District’s Red Raider Manufacturing steering committee, and works to build partnerships with K12 schools and businesses. Schetter says she would like to increase participation in SkillsUSA across the LTC campus by involving areas beyond the trades. She would also like to increase participation across the LTC district through more K12 involvement in the event.
