St. George students honored at SkillsUSA Workforce Development event
By Karen Kitzel
Career and technical students in St. George won some of the nation’s highest awards at the 2018 SkillsUSA Championships in Louisville, Kentucky June 27 and 28. More than 6,300 students competed at the national showcase of career and technical education. The SkillsUSA Championships is the largest skill competition in the world and covers 1.4 million square feet, equivalent to 20 football fields or 25 acres.
Students were invited to the event to demonstrate their technical skills, workplace skills, and personal skills in 102 hands-on occupational and leadership competitions including robotics, automotive technology, drafting, criminal justice, aviation maintenance, and public speaking. Industry leaders from 600 businesses, corporations, trade associations, and unions planned and evaluated the contestants against their standards for entry-level workers. Industry support of the SkillsUSA Championships is valued at over $36 million in donated time, equipment, cash, and material. More than 1,700 industry judges and technical committee members participated this year.
A total of 1,036 gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to students. Many winners also received industry prizes, tools of their trade, and scholarships. Skill Point Certificates were awarded in 72 occupational and leadership events to students who met a predetermined threshold score in their competition as defined by industry. The Skill Point Certificate is a component of SkillsUSA’s assessment program for career and technical education.
The following students received SkillsUSA Championships medals and Skill Point Certificates from your area:
—Cyrus Bates, a student at Dixie Technology College, was awarded the college bronze medal in Pin Design.
—Kyler Kelsch, a student at Dixie State University, was awarded the college gold medal in Screen Printing Technology.
—Erica K Evans, a student at Desert Hills High School, was awarded the high school bronze medal in Pin Design.
—Angela Crooks, a student at Dixie High School, was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in Graphic Communications.
—Derek Vowles, a student at Dixie Technology College, was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in Architectural Drafting.
—Russell Morris, a student at Dixie Technology College, was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in Electrical Construction Wiring.
—Alayna G Walker, a student at Desert Hills High School, was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in T-Shirt Design.
—Team D (consisting of Raul Jaracuaro and Jesus Gomez), from Dixie Technology College, was awarded a Skill Point Certificate in Television (Video) Production.
“More than 6,300 students from every state in the nation participated in the 2018 SkillsUSA Championships,” said SkillsUSA executive director Tim Lawrence. “This showcase of career and technical education demonstrates our SkillsUSA partnership at its finest. Our students, instructors and industry partners work together to ensure that every student excels. This program expands learning and career opportunities for our members.”
The SkillsUSA Championships event is held annually for students in middle school, high school, or college/postsecondary programs as part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. More than 360,000 students and advisors join SkillsUSA annually, organized into more than 18,000 sections and 53 state and territorial associations. The national, nonprofit partnership of students, instructors, and industry is a verified talent pipeline for America’s skilled workforce that is working to help solve the skills gap.
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