During the State Leadership and Skills Conference each year, SkillsUSA Missouri delegates from across the state elect 7 high school and 7 college/postsecondary officers to serve as student leaders for the organization – state officers. These student leaders serve in a variety of roles throughout their year of service. As leaders, they serve as communicators, advocates and facilitators.
The state officer team leads our state conferences, including the SkillsUSA Missouri Fall Leadership Conference and the SkillsUSA Missouri State Leadership and Skills Conference. The state officer team also serves local chapters and teaches members skills from the SkillsUSA Framework to help them become career ready.
Being a state officer is one of the personal growth and student leadership experiences within SkillsUSA. The overall programs focus on three key essential elements of the SkillsUSA Framework: Leadership, Communication and Service Orientation.
The skills learned through the state officer program will not only help these student leaders be successful in serving the organization, but the skills will also help them throughout their lives and future careers.
State Officer Application & Submission Process
The state officer candidate application is available online only, but there are several items you need to prepare before starting the online application, as the application will not save unfinished work. The steps below will assist you in preparing your application.
Once you begin the online application process, you must complete the entire application in one sitting, as it will not save unfinished work. If you stop in the middle, you will have to start over.
The State Officer Candidate Packet is HERE.
Step 1: Meet the Qualifications
Ensure the state officer candidate qualifications are met as outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws of SkillsUSA Missouri Association.
NOTE: Each state officer candidate shall be an active SkillsUSA member and eligible to retain active membership in the organization until the member completes the term of office, if elected. Please double-check with your SkillsUSA state director and confirm dues for chapter, state and national membership were submitted by the state and national deadlines for the year you are running for state office.
Step 2: Take the State Officer Candidate Exam
State officer candidates take the State Officer Candidate exam. Proctors can request the exam link by emailing Taylor Weaver at Amy.Brizendine@dese.mo.gov. All students must score a minimum of 75%. This test may be taken twice to score 75%.
Step 3: Gather Documents in PDF format
If qualifications are met, request and gather the following documents as early as possible in your application preparation process. You will upload and attach these documents in PDF format only as part of your online application.
Documents to be labeled (First Initial_Last name_Document Title), i.e., M_Smith_ChapterAdvisorSupportLetter.PDF
Only ONE file is allowed per upload area on the application. Combine multiple documents into a single PDF document. Several apps are available to assist with this – Tiny Scanner, PDF Scanner, or Scannable.
School Verification Letter (Local Career Center Administrator)
Verification letter from a school administrator indicating that:
Candidate is enrolled in a coherent series of courses or career major that prepares them for further education and/or employment and who are earning credit toward a high school diploma/certificate or its equivalent and plans to continue in the training program at least one more year.
Chapter Advisor Support Letter
This letter must be from the advisor of the chapter and confirm the candidate will be a member of during term in office, including a handwritten signature.
Other letters of reference (Emphasize character, leadership abilities, career education and academic accomplishments) to include:
- Local Career Education Instructor Letter (If other than your chapter advisor)
- High School Administrator (If applicable)
Step 4: Gather Application Information
Gather the following information to complete the application:
Candidate Designation
Chapter
Division
SkillsUSA Membership
- Have you paid chapter, state and national membership dues for the current year?
Candidate Information
First Name, Last Name
Candidate’s Mailing Address
Date of Birth
Cell Phone #
Email
Special Needs
CTE Program
School Name
School Address
School Phone #
Which of the following activities have you participated in during your SkillsUSA membership?
- Chapter Officer.
- Fall Leadership Conference (FLC).
- Washington Leadership Training Institute (WLTI).
- President’s Volunteer Service Award
Travel Information
Name as it appears on your driver’s license or official government ID
Correspondence Contact Information for:
SkillsUSA Chapter Advisor
Step 5: Tell Your Framework Story
In 500 words or less, prepare answers to the following questions. Use a word processing program to establish formatting and run spell check.
- What is your SkillsUSA Framework story?
- Create your story by identifying one Essential Element from the SkillsUSA Framework that you have developed and explain how experiences in SkillsUSA and/or your career and technical education program have aided in your growth.
Utilize Framework story creation tools here.
Step 6: Complete Application Forms & Headshot
State Officer Candidate Application Forms
Download, print, complete and obtain signatures for the following documents.
Candidate Headshot
- Head and shoulders shot (from chest up) – PORTRAIT (vertical) orientation only
- Shoot against a plain, one-color wall, preferably white
- Make sure photo is well lit, but try not to have any shadows on the wall, if possible
- Wear SkillsUSA Official Dress Attire (wear only acceptable pins on jacket)
- Do not use filters of any kind
- Smile!
Once you have all the information gathered, you are ready to begin the application process at: State Officer Candidate Application
State Officer Candidate and Election Procedures
State Officer Candidate Campaigning
