The winners of the annual SkillsUSA Championships were announced at the awards ceremony of the National Leadership and Skills Conference. The Conference was held June 23-24, 2016, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY. Over 6,000 career and technical education students joined in the excitement of hands-on competition in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields.
Working against the clock and each other, the participants proved their expertise in job skills.
The following are the high school and college gold medal winners in automotive/motorcycle-related categories:
In the Automotive Refinishing Technology contest, contestants demonstrated their ability to perform jobs and skills based on the task list outlined by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). The competition includes a series of workstations to assess skills in areas like surface preparation, spray gun operation, paint mixing, using safety precautions and more. The competitor also completes an interview, a written estimate and an ASE written exam.
HS: Benjamin Falconer, Aims Community College-Windsor, Greeley, CO
C: Wyatt Knick, Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI
Contestants in Automotive Service Technology demonstrate their ability to perform jobs and skills based on the task list outlined by ASE and NATEF. Workstations consist of on-vehicle, simulations, bench and component testing, and a written test. Competitors are judged on technical competency, accuracy, quality, safety and ability to follow directions.
HS: Jonathon Ball, Aberdeen High School, Aberdeen, WA
C: Nick Ferrell, East Mississippi Community College, Mayhew, MS
Student competitors in Collision Repair Technology demonstrate their ability to perform jobs and skills based on the task list outlined by ASE and NATEF. The competition includes a series of workstations to assess skills in the following areas: metal straightening, welding, plastic repair and structural analysis. The overall appearance of the finished product, speed and proper safety practices are judged. There are written tests on estimating, structural analysis and an ASE exam. The students are also interviewed.
HS: Alan Zimmerman, Vanguard-Sentinel CTC-Sentinel Campus, Tiffin, OH
C: Daniel Dwyer, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL
Diesel Equipment Technology contestants cycle through 14 stations testing and troubleshooting engines, electrical and electronics systems, and powertrain systems, including chassis, transmissions and carriers. Contestants also demonstrate skills in hydraulic systems, vehicle inspections, fundamental failure analysis, brake systems, air-conditioning systems and general shop skills. Contestants also perform a job interview and complete a written test.
HS: Taylor Owler, Orange Technical College – Mid-Florida Campus, Orlando, FL
C: Seth Schumacher, Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL
Motorcycle Service Technology contestants perform tasks representative of those encountered in a dealership’s service department. Technical skills include: performing scheduled maintenance tasks; use of service, electrical diagnostic and parts manuals; electrical diagnostics; precision measurement; brake service; chassis/suspension service; fuel delivery system inspection and repair; transmission and drive systems; and powertrain systems. Judges look for clean and organized work habits, correct use of reference materials, and the ability to follow directions and good technical skills.
HS: Sly Lumpkin, Gordon Central High School, Calhoun, GA
C: Colton Messer, Pickens Technical College, Aurora, CO
Each of the Welding competitors are tested through a series of stations. Competitors are tested on various aspects of welding, including measuring weld replicas, Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) and Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW). Competitors complete a steel project and weld an aluminum project in various positions using a variety of filler metals.
To see a video of the Welding competition, go to: http://bit.ly/SkillsUSAWelding.
HS: Connor Roberts, Willoughby-Eastlake Tech Center, Willoughby, OH
C: Nicholas Blodgett, Central New Mexico Community College, Albuquerque, NM
A complete list of winners is available online. Go to: www.skillsusa.org/competitions/skillsusa-championships/results/.
SkillsUSA sponsors the championships annually to recognize the achievements of career and technical education students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations. The contests are planned by technical committees made up of representatives of labor and management and are designed to test the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance in given occupational fields.
A short video about the 2016 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference is available online at: http://bit.ly/SkillsUSAVideo.
