GREENVILLE — The Automotive Technology Program at Greenville High School (GHS) Career Tech Center (CTC) won the Gold Medal for the SkillsUSA National Championship Transportation Category, in the Career Pathway Showcase.
The team of students: Senior Shelbi Miller, Juniors Austin Lacey and Nathan Remencus presented their winning project “Gaining Traction in the Automotive Industry” in Louisville, Kentucky, June 19-23, for the 53rd annual National Leadership and Skills Conference. A total of 1,236 gold, silver and bronze medals were presented to students. According to GHS CTC Auto-Tech Instructor Jim Anderson, 28 states were represented.
“It is a big deal,” he said. “There are 30 some teams in this category, which includes: Auto Tech, Engineering, Manufacturing and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs. This shows how our students rise to the occasion. For these kids to have accomplished what they did in representing our state is very big in my eyes.”
The SkillsUSA Championships event is held annually for students in middle school, high school or college/postsecondary programs as part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. More than 300,000 students and advisors join SkillsUSA annually, organized into more than 18,000 sections and 52 state and territorial associations. The national, non – profit partnership of students, instructors and industry is a verified talent pipeline for America’s skilled workforce that is working to help solve the skills gap, according to SkillsUSA.
Anderson said since 2001, when the Transportation Category in the Career Pathway Showcase first started in SkillsUSA, GHS CTC has won nine national titles and three bronze and 14 state titles. He is quick to explain how the entire class is involved in the efforts towards excellence. Students are given a choice near the beginning of the year, of different tasks that go into preparing for the competition, such as: creating a power point, up – keeping the web page, researching jobs, designing business cards and tri-folds. Anderson said it is also very important for the people in the community to realize how thankful the program is to them.
“Without the school system support and commitment the community has made to the school and auto department, in general, who support us financially with products or skills, this is not possible,” Anderson said. “They are just a phone-call away and they never say ‘no’.”
