It has become a tradition across high schools to hold a “signing day” for high school athletes to announce which team they will join. There is a signing day for kids to announce where they will go to college There is also the Skills US National Signing Day, where students sign “letters of intent” job offer, apprenticeship or advanced technical training.
On May 8, local communities, school administrators, teachers, elected officials, SkillsUSA advisors, family and friends celebrated students for making the decision to pursue a career or continuing education in the skilled trades.
Official spokespeople NFL quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and his father, Tony Garoppolo, a career electrician, celebrated SkillsUSA National Signing Day with the students at Silicon Valley Career Technical Education in San Jose, Calif.
“Signing Day was a big moment in my life,” Jimmy Garoppolo says. “It solidified my decision to attend college and play football, putting me on course to where I am today in my NFL career. The students we are celebrating today are making that same kind of commitment. This is their first step on the path to a rewarding and vital career. From here, they’ll need to work on the skill, patience and hard work required to succeed as a trade professional, a lesson I learned from my dad, who supported our family as a professional electrician. Congratulations to all the hardworking students who are signing their official ‘letters of intent’ today.”
“After 40 years as an electrician, I’ve seen how the industry has changed and know that it’s more important than ever for us to encourage young people to explore a career in the skilled trades,” Tony Garopollo says. “The students who are participating in SkillsUSA National Signing Day today were fortunate enough to have someone help them understand the many benefits of a career in the trades. We hope that this day will help even more people understand the growing demand for skilled trade professionals and how vital these careers and future workers are to our economy.”
Klein Tools is a title sponsor of SkillsUSA National Signing Day 2019. It is a 162-year-old American manufacturer that designs, develops and manufactures premium-quality, professional-grade hand tools used in the construction, electrical, utility and mining industries.
“We are thrilled to be able to recognize nearly 3,000 high school seniors from nearly 300 schools across the country for their commitment to the skilled trades,” says Mark Klein, co-president of Klein Tools. “These students will make a big impact on the U.S. labor market and will help to close the skills gap impacting our country today. We hope that by raising awareness of the many career options in the skilled trades, we will have even more students signing their ‘letters of intent’ next year.”
