Students Achieve National Recognition for Precision Machining Skills

Louisville, KY – National SkillsUSA Champions at Work – June 24-28, 2019 – Precision Machining students from Danville Community College and Pittsylvania County Schools attended the National SkillsUSA Champions at Work conference in Louisville Kentucky June 24-28, 2019 to compete and demonstrate their technical skills and knowledge at the national level.  

The SkillsUSA Championships is comprised of a wide variety of competitive events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. Through an investment from business and industry partners of approximately $36 million, the National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) event occupies a space equivalent to 20 football fields. The competitions align to 11 sectors and ensure that students are developing the personal, workplace and technical skills needed to become job-ready Day One.

This year’s event boasts 103 leadership, occupational, and skilled and technical competitions, the most ever. As SkillsUSA membership continues to grow (this year marks our largest membership ever at 427,432, which includes alumni), so does the number of competitors. In 2019, nearly 6,500 students — another record — faced off at the SkillsUSA Championships. So, how do these students make it to the national competition floor?

The SkillsUSA Championships typically begin in 24,000 local student chapters across the country. Chapters are formed at the middle-school, high-school and college/postsecondary levels. Students in local chapters are first evaluated through a series of hands-on competitive events on the competencies they’ve gained through their CTE programs. Winners advance to district or regional competitions, where they test their skills against a broader range of competitors from other schools in their state. First-place district or regional winners advance to state competitions, and those gold medalists move on the national level at the SkillsUSA Championships. Selected national medalists may earn the opportunity to compete internationally on the WorldSkills USA team.

The hard work, focus, and excellence showcased on competition floors — at all levels — is incredible to witness, and students who medal at these events set themselves apart as America’s best and brightest.

Danville Community College (L-R) Dylan Hardy – DCC – Integrated Machine Technology Technician,  Joshua Campbell – National SkillsUSA 1^st Place - Gold Medal winner in CNC Technician – Post Secondary Division and Kevin Poole – DCC Precision Machine Technology Instructor.

Attending the 2019 National SkillsUSA Championships in Louisville, KY were (L-R) Dylan Hardy – DCC Integrated Machining Technology Technician, Drew Abner – CNC Turning Specialist – Post Secondary, Joshua Campbell – CNC Technician – Post Secondary, Madison Qualls – CNC Milling Specialist – Post Secondary and Kevin Poole – DCC Precision Machining Instructor. 

Attending from Pittsylvania Career and Technical Center dual enrollment Precision Machining program were Trent Oswald – CNC Milling Specialist - Secondary, Adam Ilconich – CNC Technician - Secondary, Jacob Edwards – CNC Turning Specialist - Secondary and Justin Owen – PCTC Precision Machining instructor.