GPA: SkillsUSA honors Vanguard Tech Center “Model of Excellence”

          The Vanguard Tech Center, Fremont, was among 24 SkillsUSA chapters honored as Models of Excellence by Skills USA. These schools are recognized for the exceptional integration and application of personal, workplace and technical skills in their SkillsUSA chapter activities.
        “The Models of Excellence program represents the very best in chapter achievement and community involvement,” said Timothy W. Lawrence, executive director of SkillsUSA. “These students represent our future workforce and reflect the future of their communities. This is a tremendous honor for each school and validates these outstanding SkillsUSA programs as some of the best in the nation.”
        As an honoree, VSCTC will participate in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, June 24-28. Activities include finalist interviews, an awards dinner at the Kentucky Derby Museum, and recognition at the SkillsUSA awards ceremony in front of more than 12,000 students, instructors and business leaders.
        The Chapter Excellence Program is provided in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor and Crescent Tools, a premier hand-tool brand from Apex Tool Group.
        For more information about Vanguard Sentinel Career & Technology Centers, visit visit www.vsctc.org.
 
Summer Science Camp
        Registration is under way for the Lake Erie Center’s Summer Science Camps. For more info or to register visit: http://www.utoledo.edu/nsm/lec/sciencecamp.html.
 
A Day on the Wild Side
        The Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District, in cooperation with Winous Point Marsh Conservancy, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite fifth- through eighth-graders to spend “A Day on the Wild Side.”
        The camp will be held Thursday, July 25, from 8:15-4 p.m. at the Winous Point Hunt Club in Port Clinton.
        Participants will have an opportunity to learn many different outdoor skills in a safe and fun environment. Some of the activities include archery, bird banding, fishing, canoeing, shooting and learning about the importance of habitat, and the history of the Winous Point Hunt Club, North America’s oldest hunt club.
The cost to attend “A Day on the Wild Side” is $20. Participation is limited to 60 students. To register a student or to learn more, call 419-898-1595 or visit www.ottawaswcd.com.
 
“Great Neighbor” contest
        Tractor Supply Company is calling for 4-H and FFA youth to demonstrate what it means to be a great neighbor during the retailer’s Mobile Fair Tour, a 10-stop journey across the United States.
        Through June 16, 4-H and FFA youth residing near a stop on the fair’s tour can enter the contest by submitting a photo and 200-word caption that showcases a 4-H or FFA project making a difference in their community. The Mobile Fair Tour will make a stop at the Ohio State Fair Ohio State Fair Aug. 1-4 in Columbus.
        Tractor Supply will choose winners at random and will recognize the local winners at each of the 10 fair stops with a special ceremony. Winners will be presented with a commemorative plaque and Tractor Supply gift pack in appreciation of their hard work.
        To enter, eligible 4-H and FFA members should visit TractorSupply.com/FairTour to submit their photo and description, review contest rules and regulations, and view a list of fair stops.
 
Small Business Basics
        The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Terra State Community College is offering free, two-hour “Small Business Basics” seminars designed to answer questions about starting, buying or expanding a small business.
        The seminar will cover the basics of name registration, licensing, taxes, zoning, business entities, employees, insurance, financing and business planning.
        The June schedule includes:
        • Wednesday, June 5, 9:30-11:30 a.m., Ottawa County Improvement Corporation (conference room), 8043 W. SR 163, Oak Harbor.
        • Wednesday, June 26, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Terra State Community College (Building B, Room 103), 2830 Napoleon Rd., Fremont.
        To register or for more information, contact Bill Auxter, director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center, at 419-559-2210 or bauxter@terra.edu.
 
Career guide available
        The Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP) wants Ohio students and job-seekers to know that there are more than 75 different rewarding and high-demand careers available in Ohio’s natural gas and oil industry.
        In-demand jobs are defined as jobs that have a sustainable wage and a promising future based on the projected number of openings and growth.
        “In 2011, our industry employed around 14,000 Ohioans, and today that number has dramatically increased to nearly 200,000, thanks to the ongoing development of the Marcellus and Utica Shale formations,” Rhonda Reda, OOGEEP Executive Director said. “As a result, workforce development remains a priority for our industry.”
        OOGEEP recently released a new Career Guide and an online Career Video Series that highlights the in-demand careers in Ohio’s natural gas and oil industry including diesel mechanics, welders, lease operators, land surveyors, CDL truck drivers, derrickhands, geologists, petroleum engineers and many more.
        To learn more about the new “Oil and Gas Careers In Ohio” guides and video series, as well as a list of educational and training programs, visit www.oogeep.org/industry-workforce/careers/.