Greater New Bedford Tech students summarize SkillsUSA competitions, DEI and community projects

At a meeting of the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical School Committee, students and advisors from the school’s SkillsUSA chapter summarized this year’s competitions, leadership events and community service projects and outlined plans to compete at the state level in May.

The presentation highlighted student leadership training, district and state competition results, and several community-service and diversity, equity and inclusion projects. Christine Fleetley Vincent, chapter advisor, said 39 percent of the chapter’s students “tested at the district level” and will advance to the state competition in May in Marlborough, Massachusetts. She described SkillsUSA as “a workforce development organization that really encourages our students to be the best they can in all skills, not necessarily their trade.”

Students described activities that included a summer team-building trip to Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich; a fall leadership retreat; the Fall State Leadership Conference in November 2024; the Smart Summit on Jan. 16; and the national competition. Student officers said the chapter emphasizes both competition and community service. Jeremiah Balaban, a sophomore and chapter officer, said students built bicycles with the National Guard and donated them, and Evelyn Cardoz Akash, a freshman officer, said the national competition expanded her public-speaking and networking experience.

Student leaders also described chapter projects addressing mental health and DEI. Olivia (no last name given), chapter co‑vice president, described three workshops at the Senior Adventures in Leadership conference: social networking, financial literacy and “real world and work advice” led by staff from the state office. The chapter’s mental health projects included a fundraiser that raised $600 for the organization Kyle Cares and a mural called “You Are Not Alone” that invited students to place stickers indicating issues affecting friends or family. Students said they plan a presentation and interview for the school’s YouTube channel, BTTV, to showcase their work.

The chapter’s DEI initiative, described by James Emminster, chapter secretary and workplace-skills leader, is called “Find Your Flag.” The project collects photos of students with flags that reflect a core part of their identity—nationality, club membership, sexual orientation, gender identity or other affiliations—to highlight both individuality and community. Advisors distributed small Massachusetts state flags as tokens to attendees.

Advisors and committee members praised the students’ work. Christine Fleetley Vincent noted statewide industry-point metrics for vocational students and said the chapter continues to prepare students for the workforce. The presentation concluded with thanks to advisors and students and with distribution of informational pamphlets and small flags.