Colorado Springs--For the fourth consecutive year, Pikes Peak Community College played host to the Colorado hands-on SkillsUSA competition on April 20. In the Automotive Technology (mechanical repair) competition, vocational-technical students vied for a chance to advance to the National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) on June 26-29 in Kansas City, Mo.
SkillsUSA's NLSC competition last year featured more than 4,700 students from across the nation who competed in 84 trade, technical, and leadership fields.
Like the NLSC, the annual state competition features vocational-technical students from high school (secondary) and college (postsecondary), said Chairman Scott Rill, technical service manager for Burt Toyota.
Automotive Technology was one of many competitions for the day that ranged from cosmetology to construction. In order to participate in the competition, Rill said the students had to pass two 50-question written tests before competing, one for automotive repair and a second for leadership skills.
Students from all corners of Colorado were represented, including Montrose, Pueblo, Rifle, and Boulder.
The students were tested in 23 areas, Rill said, 12 for secondary and 11 for postsecondary. Thirty-six industry officials volunteered to judge the event, he said; new judges this year included Todd Colchin, Colchin Auto; Al Dempsey and Dave Dupree, Enviro Management Solutions; Skip Saurman, Megatech Corp.; Pete Murrish, Ralph Schomp Honda; John Marchetti, Corporate Express; and Mendy Baily, Chris Brady, and Joel Charles of Harloff Manufacturing.
Finishing in the top three for the secondary division were: Timothy Deneau, Warren Tech, first; Charles Carman, Boulder Technical Education Center, second; and Daniel Gatt, Montrose High School, third. In the postsecondary division, Matt Howard of Arapahoe Community College took first, Jeff Schreiner of Arapahoe was second, and Matt Monsees of Morgan Community College finished third.
Companies that provided money, materials, or prizes included Matco Tools, Snap-on Tools, the Burt automotive group, BMW of North America, Toyota Motor Sales, Megatech Corp., and Harloff Manufacturing, Rill said.
