Rocklin High offers a wide assortment of clubs to be a part of, but Skills USA, one of the lesser known clubs, offers more than just a fun meetings and new friends.

Skills USA is a CTSS, or Career Technical Student Organization. The program provides real-life experience with skills needed in various workplaces through competitions as well as participation opportunities in different service learning projects.  

Skills USA works closely with the Engineering Support Technology classes here on campus. EST offers experience using drafting programs such as Solidworks as well as getting experience using shop equipment.  EST 1 is an entry-level course that provides UC credit.

“The intro level competition really just requires students to understand how to model and create a part as well as how to communicate a basic part to the people on the shop floor who are going to be building it,” says EST teacher and Skills USA coordinator  Dan Frank.

The Skills USA team competes one to two times per year. The first competition they attend is the Regional competition which happened just a few weeks ago. The second competition is the State competition.

This years Skills USA team is bigger than it has been in past years with almost thirty participants. Last year there were only eleven participants. This year’s team also has more girls than it has had in years past.

“It’s nice having more girls because it’s less intimidating. It’s uncomfortable joining a group of guys two or three years older than you and not knowing anyone,” sophomore Emma Yenerich says.

Emma joined Skills USA last year and advanced to the State competition as a freshman. She is hoping to advance to State again this year, although the way competitions are scored has changed so she does not yet know if she will qualify for the next level of competition.

Sierra Gosting, another sophomore competitor, agrees with Emma that both Skills USA and the EST classes offer great experience.

“More girls should join. It’s a male-dominated class, but don’t be intimidated.” Sierra said. Both her and Emma are hoping that the Skills USA team will continue to grow in size and attract more participants.