Crown Equipment invests in students today so they will become the skilled employees of tomorrow
Crown Equipment Corporation designs and manufactures the most ergonomic, innovative, and technologically advanced forklifts available. Crown has been recognized as an industry leader in producing products that enhance safety, increase productivity, and extend product lifespan. When talking with Matt Jones, Crown Regional Recruiter, he was clear on emphasizing the importance of their employees, stating: “At Crown, we support our employees and their professional goals because an investment in our people is an investment in our future.”
SkillsUSA Ohio & Crown Equipment
Crown Equipment has been an industry partner with SkillsUSA Ohio since 2018. After hearing what SkillsUSA Ohio represents and the framework they model, Jones knew that Crown needed to be a part of this life-changing program. He was given a tour of the competitions, asked to be on the Board of Directors in the summer of 2018, attended State, Regional, and Local competitions, and immediately knew that he wanted be a part of this program and help mold the youth of today into the skilled employees of tomorrow.
Getting Involved
Crown Equipment has a very close working relationship with SkillsUSA Ohio and loves getting involved with the staff, students, and events. Some of the highlights Jones shared with us were: participating in mock interviews to help the students prepare for the workforce, sitting on industry panel discussions to help inform and educate the students, and conducting soft skills workshops to build confidence and, of course, skills. Additionally, Jones has helped organize and staff the Customer Service competition at the State Championship, and sponsored the Fall Conference, speaking to roughly 95 teachers and advisors from around the state. All these actions speak loudly to Crown Equipment's commitment to facilitating our youth through SkillsUSA Ohio.
Building Relationships & Well-Rounded Employees
When asked about the benefits and values of their partnership with SkillsUSA Ohio, Jones said:
“Honestly, for me, it has been the relationships. I deeply value the relationships I have developed with the staff and the students. I absolutely love speaking to the students and conducting the Soft Skills Workshops. I believe that there is a great value in that presentation, and I feel like the students benefit greatly from the information. If they can take that information and apply it, both professionally and personally, then I feel like I have made an impact on their lives.”
Crown Equipment feels that one of the most crucial aspects of joining the workforce is being a well-rounded employee. Focusing on being a good employee who knows how to communicate is key to getting along with the people you work with. The SkillsUSA Ohio program helps communication skills grow and flourish.
Partnering with SkillsUSA Ohio
Today, Crown Equipment has a huge presence within the SkillsUSA community. They donated 3 of their forklifts to use and tear down competitions, an exhibition space to showcase the company, and have been listed as a Corporate Partner with their logo on the rolling marquee during the awards ceremony. All of these are important commitments they are proud to be a part of.
Additionally, Jones has been invited to present at schools all over the state of Ohio, and locally does a lot of work with Upper Valley Career Center in Piqua, Ohio. He enjoys his time there saying, “They are all very welcoming and have me visit and present regularly.”
We closed our conversation with Jones by asking what else he would like to add about his partnership with SkillsUSA Ohio, and this is what he left us with:
“I think the staff at SkillsUSA does an amazing job and their dedication and commitment to the students is unparalleled and they should be commended! I am very proud to be a part of this organization and proud of the growth in the partnership with Crown that we have achieved. It is exciting and I can’t wait to see what opportunities lie ahead!”
We too, are so happy to be partnering with Crown Equipment and cannot wait for this relationship to continue to grow.
