UW-Stout hosts DECA Career Development Conference

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – On January 11th, UW-Stout hosts the 53rd-annual DECA District One Career Development Conference.

Over 450 students from 20 area high schools flocked to the Conference, networking with industry professionals, and testing their marketing abilities.

“They’re going to go through two role plays and case studies, and they’re also going to go through a cluster exam, which they have previously taken,” said District One Awards Chair Shelby Johnson. “First, second, and third all make it to the Wisconsin State DECA competition.”

The goal of these competitions is to help hone students’ business skills, better preparing them for their professional futures.

“College and career ready is what we’re all about,” said Hudson High School business teacher and event Head of Tabulations Brett Weinfurter.

“We’re just trying to get them to think after high school, ‘What do I want to pursue, and then how can something like DECA help them prepare?’ Whether it’s networking, whether it’s just overall confidence, public speaking: Just working on those soft skills is what we’re doing here.”

The competitions cover a variety of marketing sub genres, including hotel and lodging management, finance, business administration, and more.

“When you say marketing and business, it’s a very broad spectrum of different industries that are within it, so here they find their fit, and make it work for what interests them,” Weinfurter noted.

Tomah senior Alexa Miller says that mission is met, helping her pinpoint her professional direction.

“Before I joined DECA, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to,“ Miller said.

“I was kind of tiptoeing between a ton of different careers, but once I joined here, I realized that I really love business. It pushed me to start pursuing a career in business, so I started taking tons of business classes, and I found a love for it.”

Though already rebounding numbers from a COVID-19 downturn, event coordinator Riley Her has continuous growth on the mind.

“We want more schools to be able to join into this opportunity and more schools to have the students develop their skill sets early,” Her stated. “It really helps them in the workforce and in the future later in life.”

Event organizers also state the need for more judges as the Conference continues to grow. Information for interested potential judges can be found here.

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