Cengage Learning Supports Career and Technical Students at the 47th Annual SkillsUSA Conference

STAMFORD, Conn., June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cengage Learning, a leading global provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions, today announced its participation in the 47th annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC). More than 5,500 exceptional career and technical high school and college/postsecondary students from across the country are expected to attend the conference to compete in 94 different trade, technical and leadership categories.

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The conference, taking place June 19-24 in Kansas City, MO, is hosted by SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit organization serving high school and college/postsecondary students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. The annual conference and competitions are held to develop future leaders and help the students prepare for their intended careers. SkillsUSA Contests begin locally and continue through the state levels, leaving only the most outstanding students to compete in the Championships during the SkillsUSA NLSC.

Cengage Learning will be playing a significant role in this year's event – with representatives from three areas of the company attending and showing support for students in the automotive, building trades and cosmetology competitions:

Automotive

Delmar, part of Cengage Learning and a leading provider of learning solutions for ongoing career development and education, and Chilton, also part of Cengage Learning and an established leader in reference sources for automotive professionals and Do-It-Yourself automotive enthusiasts, will serve as part of the Automotive Service Technology Committee. In this role, representatives from both Chilton and Delmar will be responsible for totaling student scores from the various workstations, and will award the top three winners of each competition with a gift card and ASE test preparation materials. Delmar and Chilton will also offer support to the winners of the Motorcycle Technology, Automotive Refinishing Technology, Diesel Equipment and Collision Repair competitions by awarding prizes to the top placing students. The Chilton team will also be providing ChiltonPRO, a tool that professional technicians frequently use to help diagnose and repair vehicles, to all high school students in the Automotive Service Technology Competition. Students will be given a test, designed by Chilton, and will need to utilize the ChiltonPRO system to find the correct answers.

Building Trades

Delmar will be involved in various aspects of the building trades competitions. The company is working with the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Educational Foundation to construct this year's Plumbing Competition, and Delmar representatives will be serving on the technical committee for the Sustainability Solutions Demo where they will help to judge the competition. The company will also be awarding products and prizes to the first, second and third place winners of six building trades-related competitions - Carpentry, Plumbing, Cabinetry, HVACR, Industrial Motor Control and Residential Wiring.

During the school year, Delmar hosted a video contest asking students to help establish www.TheGreenDestination.com, a web portal hosting essential information for green builders, as the destination for green building information. SkillsUSA students wishing to participate were asked to create and submit a video displaying how they would choose to promote the Green Destination website to potential customers. The winning video will be used in a national promotion and will be featured on the SkillsUSA website, and the winner will receive an iPod Touch. The winner will be announced during the conference and will be promoted at the Delmar booth in the technical exposition (Techspo) portion of SkillsUSA.

Cosmetology

Milady, part of Cengage Learning and a leading provider of beauty and wellness learning solutions, will be represented at this year's conference by a group of licensed industry experts and Milady employees. Together they will serve on the Cosmetology, Nail Care and Esthetics Technical Committees, where they will provide judging and support for those student competitions.

As in previous years, Delmar will be the exclusive sponsor of the prestigious Advisor of the Year award, given to recognize and honor a dedicated career and technical education instructor. All candidates for the award have won qualifiers at the state and regional levels, and have been interviewed by Delmar representatives. The national winner will be announced and recognized during the SkillsUSA opening ceremony.

"It is competitions like these that excite students and motivate them for their future careers," said Alar Elken, executive vice president, career education & training solutions, Cengage Learning. "Cengage Learning is committed to lifelong learning and the skills-based professional, making us an ideal partner for the event. We are proud to support the SkillsUSA NLSC and will continue to provide career and technical students with the materials, resources and motivation to master the skills necessary to become successful in their respective trades."

For more information on Cengage Learning, and all available career and professional products and services, please visit www.cengage.com.

About Cengage Learning

Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. The company's products and services are designed to foster academic excellence and professional development, increase student engagement, improve learning outcomes and deliver authoritative information to people whenever and wherever they need it. Through the company's unique position within both the library and academic markets, Cengage Learning is providing integrated learning solutions that bridge from the library to the classroom. Cengage Learning's brands include Brooks/Cole, Course Technology, Delmar, Gale, Heinle, South-Western and Wadsworth, among others.

About SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a national partnership of students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA chapters help students preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations to excel. SkillsUSA has more than 307,000 members in 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia. SkillsUSA is an applied method of instruction and it provides quality education experiences for students. Its national SkillsUSA Championships is an industry-driven competition to improve education. Over 1,100 corporations, trade associations, businesses and unions are partners at the national level. http://www.skillsusa.org

SOURCE Cengage Learning