BSCTC STUDENTS SHINE IN STATE SKILLS USA COMPETITION

Big Sandy Community and Technical College students brought home 10 first-place awards in the Kentucky SkillsUSA competition held on April 14-16 in Louisville.

One of my very first commitments to [Big Sandy Community and Technical College] was to bring new energy into our career education programs, said BSCTC President Dr. Devin Stephenson. The first step in doing that was to establish a SkillsUSA chapter.

C.W. Vanhoose and Dr. Fallon Watson serve as co-advisors of the BSCTC SkillsUSA chapter. Faculty members Lori Lewis, Jimmy McClure, Randy Haney and John Fitzpatrick attended the competition with students.

Heres a breakdown of the winners from BSCTC:
Louie Jude, first place, Job Skills Demo; Greg Castle, first place, Job Skills Demo; McKayla Jude, first place, Promotional Bulletin Board; Sam Preece, first place, masonry; Greg Castle, first place, electrical construction wiring; Kyle Griffith, industrial motor control; Roger Johnson, Dustin Music and Dustin Ramsey, first place, welding fabrication; McKayla Jude, first place, related technical math; Brandon Sparks, second place, carpentry; Josh Bailey, second place, job interview; Bart Horne, second place, welding; Louie Jude, third place, industrial motor control; and Anderson Salmons, third place, welding.

All first-place winners will advance to the National SkillsUSA competition in Louisville in June.

C.W. Vanhoose said the opportunity to compete in the SkillsUSA competition provides valuable hands-on experience, as well as opportunities to network to business and industry.

This is an experience these students will never forget, and it shows them that they can compete against the very best in the state and the nation, said Vanhoose. Theres never been a better time to be skilled, and these students are proving just that.