As I got taken to the Tool Shed for last years piece on the Alabama Skills competition, why not see if they would like this years piece directly? Well I am humbled & pleased to say that they did and this years recap of the 2013 Alabama State Skills Championship is now live on the mikeroweWORKS […]
Labor Day and the PR Campaign for Work
In 1882, over 10,000 people flocked to New York to participate in America’s first Labor Day parade. While it was seen as a celebration it was also a time to discuss strategies for securing not only better jobs but safer working conditions. That movement became so successful that for many now just seen as one […]
Guest Post: NARI, TeamWorks, SkillsUSA, mrW have role in workforce development
Are you tired of hearing about never being able to find qualified workers, wondering who will take the reins when you retire or what this generation is capable of accomplishing? Are you looking for a few hard-working individuals who not only know what is required, but also can do it, have a desire to learn […]
SkillsUSA 2011 – Recap & Day 4
While driving in, I really couldn’t believe that this was it. Throughout the day & drive home it was hard not to think about just how life altering this program is not only for many of the competitors I spoke with, but for many of the volunteers & even just visitors. This is a video […]
SkillsUSA 2011 – Day 3
Today is the final day of the competition for all the competitors in all the competitions and the biggest day of hands-on competition around (i.e. if you can only make one day – this is it). In the case of the Team Works competitors, they have until 5 PM to regroup and get everything completed […]
SkillsUSA 2011 – Day 2
Today is the day where the rubber meets the road, not only for all the teams, but the logistics (State Farm), judges (NARI), volunteers (Stanley), and for those on the Technical Committee that have spent the last 10 months working towards this day. A special shout out also has to be given to all the […]
SkillsUSA 2011 – Day 1
This year I am quite honored to be attending the SKILLS USA National Championships as not only a VIP guest (mrW tradesmen), but as one of the NARI judges for the “Team Works” event. For many (including me originally) one of the first questions asked is – what in the world is SKILLS USA? The […]
Safety Sunday: A New Year and Safety Third
First off, let me wish you all a Happy New Year. This is generally the time of year that many look back fondly (or not so fondly) on the past year, make resolutions, and move forward to making the coming new-year a safe and better one. In this vein, I would like to talk about […]
Want to learn what it takes to get into the Trades?
Would you like to learn more about the remodeling process, why some of us love the work we do, how to get into the construction field, or maybe even working in another “Dirty Job’s” trade? Well we have two sites that we recommend you visit. So what happens when you get someone famous for working in over […]