SkillsUSA Club Competes in Columbus

The 2009 SkillsUSA Ohio State Conference gathered approximately 2500 members and advisors from career and technical school programs throughout Ohio, including five members of the UC Clermont College SkillsUSA Club.  This annual event of Ohio SkillsUSA was recently held in Columbus.

Kevin Burroughs, of Williamsburg, won the gold medal in the technical drafting competition and will compete at the national competition in Kansas City, MO in late June.

The skills Ohio championships consist of 76 technical and leadership contests.  Participants are challenged to complete a project in their area of technical training within a specified time period while being scored by a panel of judges from business, industry and education.  Top qualifiers will compete in the SkillsUSA championships in Kansas City, Mo., June 21-27 for national honors.

“All the effort that Kevin has dedicated to the SkillsUSA organization is paying big dividends to someone who really deserves it.  Kevin is extremely mechanically inclined and shows incredible work ethic.  I’m glad he’s a part of our program,” said Assistant Professor Dexter Hulse of Computer Aided Drafting at UC Clermont College and SkillsUSA advisor.

UC Clermont students Jessica Wolford of Mansfield competed in architectural drafting (she currently lives in Clifton), Bethanie Igo of Milford competed in medical assisting, Kelly McCarthy of Newtown and David Hancock of Anderson Township both competed in first aid/CPR.  

“I think there’s a real value in the competition.  It was a wonderful opportunity for the students and they had a good experience,” said Carolyn Vining, faculty advisor and field service instructor of paramedics and EMS at UC Clermont College.
 
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and business and industry working together to insure America has a skilled workforce. It is a national non-profit organization for career technical students training for careers in trade, industrial, technical and health related occupations.