Students compete in SkillsUSA state welding, auto mechanics competition Thursday at WNC
Nevada’s top community college and high school students in Career and Technical Education will compete Thursday at Western Nevada College in the welding and automotive mechanics divisions of the SkillsUSA state competition.
More than 1,000 students are competing in contests around the state that include broadcast news production, commercial baking, electrical construction wiring, culinary arts, food and beverage service competition, information technology services, television video production, digital cinema production, architectural drafting, cabinet making, technical drafting, diesel equipment technology, power equipment technology, Web design, welding fabrication, automotive mechanics and forensic investigation.
The contests are scheduled through Friday at various sites in Northern Nevada, including WNC, Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center, Reno Ballroom and Washoe County’s Regional Public Safety Training Center.
Welding fabrication and automotive mechanics competitors will be bused from Circus Circus in Reno to WNC in Carson City early Thursday morning.
Welding contestants will compete starting at 8 a.m. at the Andy Butti Welding Technology Center. Each student will be required to compete in shielded metal-arc, gas tungsten, oxy-fuel cutting and gas metal-arc welding. In addition, the students will take a written exam and participate in a mock interview.
A panel of judges representing WNC and the local community will make sure students follow the rules of the contest and score their efforts.
“A lot of people are putting in the time to make it happen,” said WNC Welding Professor Randy Naylor.
Students will also learn about WNC’s welding program. “It’s a good time to tell them about our program: what we do here and what we have to offer,” Naylor said.
While the welders are busy reshaping metal and aluminum, automotive mechanics students will be competing concurrently at the E.L. Cord Auto Technology Center starting at 8 a.m.
“It’s a really cool thing. It will cover bumper to bumper and there will be 22 different stations,” said WNC Automotive Mechanics instructor Jason Spohr. “We’ll have real-life problems, like a broken bolt in a cylinder head, to see if they can handle it.”
In addition to the various troubleshooting and diagnosis required of students at 22 test stations, they will be required to take a written exam and participate in a job interview. Many of Spohr’s college students will judge the event.
For more information about Nevada SkillsUSA, go to www.nvskillsusa.org. Winners will advance to the SkillsUSA Championships set for June 22-26 in Louisville, Ky.
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