Anyone working in the captioning industry has heard rumors that technology devices are threatening to diminish, if not replace, court reporters. These rumors are quickly spreading to future generations, potentially deterring would-be court reporters from pursuing a profession they presume is in decline.
To remind the general public, especially students, of the many advantages that captioning and court reporting careers can afford them, the National Committee of State Associations (NCSA) is hosting its third annual “Take Note” competition.
Although the competition officially started on August 8, it runs until the last day of the 2017 Court Reporting & Captioning Week, which will be held from February 11-18.
The Take Action challenge is open to all state court reporting associations, its members, and individuals interested in familiarizing audiences about industry trends through active involvement. Competitors must document an event that demonstrates how they’ve participated in promoting the court reporting profession. Suggested activities include:
- Giving presentations to guidance counselors
- Performing demonstrations at high schools
- Contributing to the Veterans History Project
- Operating a booth during career fairs
To bring greater attention to the competition, participants are encouraged to further document their contest events by snapping pictures and posting them on association websites and social media platforms.
After completing a qualifying event, competitors simply fill out and submit a form to the NCSA website. And now for the best part: participants can submit an unlimited number of entries. Each entry will work as a raffle-type credit, with first, second, and third place prizes being awarded. This year the first-prize winner will be awarded five free NCRA webinars.
Only individual captioners and court reporters are eligible to win the grand prize, which is a complimentary registration to the 2017 NCRA Convention & Expo in Las Vegas from July 20-23, 2017.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and enter the competition!