GNTC team preps for SkillsUSA competition
The post-season is officially underway as schools across Georgia get ready to showcase the state’s top programs. One Peach State college that saw its run for a national championship fall short in 2016, hopes to bring home the hardware in 2017.
More than three dozen students from all six campuses of Georgia Northwestern Technical College will strap on their helmets and compete for the title “Number One In Georgia” in just five weeks. A capacity crowd is expected at the Georgia International Conference Center as Bobcat teams will be competing at the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference March 23-25 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Although “March Madness” is a phrase most basketball enthusiasts are familiar with this time of year, the catchy nickname definitely applies to the third weekend in March. “We have 41 students competing in 25 professional skill categories,” said Missy McLain, GNTC SkillsUSA Coordinator. “We hope to see even more national qualifiers this time around.”
After taking top honors in the TeamWorks category at the state competition last year, GNTC’s TeamWorks crew placed third at the national event in Louisville, Ky. Well, the Bobcats will be sending another team in that category, as well as 24 other areas of expertise to the state competition next month.
The SkillsUSA TeamWorks category involves a construction project to be completed. It requires a team of four contestants to work together in reading blue prints and creating an action plan. Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and masonry skills are put to use during the project. From ordering the materials to be used to planning the completion of each phase of the job, judges looked closely at each team’s ability to work within building codes, jobsite safety and cleanliness, proper use and accountability of tools and equipment, and the overall efficiency of the team project. Barry Arrington and Bo Dooley, members of the 2016 team that placed nationally, will be on the team once again setting its sights for the 2017 crown.
This year’s qualifying teams from GNTC are as follows: James Garrett (Aragon, Ga.) in Auto Refinishing Technology; Philip English (Flintstone, Ga.) in Automotive Service Technology; Branton Bailey (Resaca, Ga.) in Cabinetmaking; Beck Maxwell (Euharlee, Ga.), Melvin Mitchell (Cartersville), and Dusty Powell (Aragon, Ga.; in Career Pathways in Industrial and Engineering Technology; Melisa Fajardo (Dalton, Ga.), Brandy LeVan (Rock Spring, Ga.), and Kate Hendricks (Rock Spring, Ga.) in Chapter Display; Dakota Maddox (Calhoun, Ga.) in Collision Repair Technology; Ashley Davenport (Rome, Ga.) in Cosmetology; Kelsey Stanley (Dalton, Ga.) in Customer Service; Wendy Neighbors (Ringgold, Ga.) in Early Childhood Education; Eric Vargas (Rome, Ga.) in Electrical Construction Wiring; Kevin Long (Rossville, Ga.) in First Aid/CPR; Savannah Almond (Cedartown, Ga.), Tevannah Johnson (Rome, Ga.), Kimberly Kelly (Lindale, Ga.), and Tiffany Mascote (Cedartown, Ga.) in the Health Knowledge Bowl; Bryan Shirley (Rome, Ga.) in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning; Chris Ballew (Buchanan, Ga.) in Industrial Motor Controls; Stone Dowling (LaFayette, Ga.) Information Technology Systems; Bryan Tapia (Rome, Ga.) in Job Interview; Amanda Teeters (Chickamauga, Ga.) in Job Skill Demonstration “A”; Selena Spivey (Dalton, Ga.) in Job Skill Demonstration Open; Kelsey Mann (Rome, Ga.), Brittany Orr (Rome, Ga.), and Ned Sanders (LaFayette, Ga.) in Medical Mathematics; Lindsey Thomas (Rome, Ga.) and Faith Trammell (Rome, Ga.) in Medical Terminology; Jalen Hamilton (Rome, Ga.) in Prepared Speech; Noah Wilson (Fairmount, Ga.), Barry Arrington (Calhoun, Ga.), Shawn Clark (Calhoun, Ga.), and Bo Dooley (Resaca, Ga.) in TeamWorks; Elisabeth Harp (Calhoun, Ga.) and Geovani Ramirez (Dalton, Ga.) in Technical Computer Applications; Ryan Fincher (Cedartown, Ga.) in Welding; and Jacob Hargrove (Ringgold, Ga.), Isaiah Jackson (Dalton, Ga.) and Daniel Lopez (Dalton, Ga.) in Welding Fabrication.
Those earning top honors on the state level will earn a spot in the national competition at the 53rd National Leadership and Skills Conference held in Louisville, Kentucky the week of June 19-23. SkillsUSA is a national, nonprofit student organization that has developed more than 10 million workers through active partnerships between employers, educators, and industry leaders. SkillsUSA programs include local, state and national competitions in which students demonstrate occupational and leadership skills. At the annual SkillsUSA National Championships, nearly 6,000 students compete in 100 occupational and leadership skill areas.
For more information on Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s SkillsUSA program, you can call 866-983-4682. For information online, visit the college at GNTC.edu, as well as on GNTC’s Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, WordPress, and YouTube channels. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and an equal opportunity institute.
Since 1962, Georgia Northwestern Technical College has provided degrees, diplomas, and certificates in business, health, industrial, or public service career paths. This past year, 13,734 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 7,876 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 5,858 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start.