By UW-Stout Office of University Communications
Judges – particularly business and marketing professionals – are needed at UW-Stout for a Jan. 9 individual and team competition in business-related areas.
The competition, for high school students, will be part of the 44th annual DECA District I Career Development conference at the university’s Memorial Student Center. Last year about 500 students, representing 16 west-central Wisconsin schools, competed in 17 individual events and seven team events.
DECA, previously known as Delta Epsilon Chi and Distributive Education Clubs of America, is an international association of high school and college students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship.
The Jan. 9 competition will test students’ skills in business services, marketing management, hospitality and tourism, marketing strategy, retail sales and services, financial services, and sports and entertainment marketing. Winners and runners-up at UW-Stout will advance to the 51st annual state DECA Career Development Conference March 8-10 in Lake Geneva.
Judging will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a judges’ orientation at 9 a.m. A lunch will be provided for all judges.
In addition to event judging, professionals will be able to share their experience and knowledge with students, and network with other professionals. A registration form for judges can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/zs8qvac, and direct registration is possible at http://goo.gl/forms/dEa6UNdrSP.
Prof. Debbie Stanislawski, director of UW-Stout’s undergraduate program in marketing and business education, is the conference coordinator. The event aims to help prepare theuniversity’s students to become teachers while also benefitting the high school competitors.
High schools are experiencing a shortage of teachers in career and technical education, especially in marketing and business education, according to Prof. Urs Haltinner, director of the UW-Stout Ph.D. program in career and technical education.
“DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe,” Haltinner said.
More information about judging or the district conference is available from Haltinner by email (haltinneru@uwstout.edu) or telephone (715-232-1493).
DECA currently has over 215,000 members, along with 3,500 high school chapters, 275 collegiate chapters, and 5,500 advisors. It prepares leaders and entrepreneurs for careers and education in marketing, finance, hospitality, management, and other business areas.
The Jan. 9 event is being coordinated by students in the UW-Stout Marketing and Business Education Association. UW-Stout offers the only bachelor’s degree in the UW-System in marketing and business education.