Snap-on CEO celebrated as SkillsUSAs Champion of the Year

Nicholas T. Pinchuk, chairman and CEO of Snap-on Incorporated, was honored as the SkillsUSA Champion of the Year.

The announcement was made before an audience of more than 300 corporate executives, national education leaders and career and technical education (CTE) students and teachers, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“We hold with the dignity of work,” said Pinchuk in his acceptance remarks.

“Society advances through the hands, minds and hearts of its workers. The success of America depends both on the brilliance of the few, and on the efforts of the many” he said. “Despite the unemployment rate, thousands of good jobs go unfilled because of a shortage in technical capabilities. Through its training programs with secondary and post-secondary students, SkillsUSA helps fill that gap.”

He said the U.S. needs to make skilled workforce training a national priority, and to make skilled careers, “a national calling.”

He concluded by recognizing the students in the audience saying, “Meet America’s future, the young men and women of SkillsUSA.”

Tim Lawrence, executive director of SkillsUSA, said educators, industry, and government need to work together to build a highly enabled and motivated workforce.

“This organization works at the national level with 1,100 corporations, trade associations, businesses and unions,” he said. “Since 1977, Snap-on has been a corporate partner that keeps students and their instructional programs up-to-date so they can meet and exceed employer expectations. There is no better partner.”

The SkillsUSA Champion of the Year award is given annually to recognize the leadership of a corporate executive for exemplary work in supporting and influencing the growth of a highly skilled workforce throughout America. The award also recognizes executives and their corporations for involvement in promoting career and technical education and for support of SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit that strives to provide a quality workforce in trade, technical and skilled service occupations.