Georgia Students Earn 72 Medals at SkillsUSA National Competition
Gwinnett Technical College and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Win 13 Medals among Recognitions
LOUISVILLE, KY.—Georgia placed second in the U.S. for the number of medals awarded at the SkillsUSA national competition in Louisville, Ky. Georgia middle school, high school, and technical college students who progressed to the 2019 SkillsUSA National Conference, after winning at the state-level competition, brought home a combined total of 72 medals.
“Every year, Georgia’s technical college students get the opportunity to demonstrate their skills to a national audience at the SkillsUSA National Competition,” said Matt Arthur, Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia. “We are extremely proud of our students for their achievements as they represent the skilled workforce we develop every day for Georgia’s businesses and industries.”
The top three TCSG college winners were Gwinnett Technical College and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College with 13 medals each, followed by Ogeechee Technical College with seven medals. The Dr. John Scott Award for highest scoring individual competitor in Georgia Postsecondary went to Foster Lester from Atlanta Technical College in the Job Interview contest. The Curtiss Bell Award for highest scoring team competitors in Georgia Postsecondary went to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies team—Abigale Baluta, Juan Islas, Ashley Palomino, Justin Perez, Jacqueline Sisley, Madison Thorpe, and Mikael Yoftahe—from Gwinnett Technical College.
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College was also named one of the 24 Model of Excellence chapters nationwide, for the second year in a row. The SkillsUSA National Model of Excellence program recognizes the exceptional integration and application of personal, workplace, and technical skills for SkillsUSA chapter activities. Specifically, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College was selected as one of eight chapters to represent personal skills and participated in several activities during the national conference to recognize their work, including a special recognition dinner with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Mick Zais and Cierra Mitchell from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship.
About the Technical College System of Georgia
The 22 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) are Georgia’s top resource for skilled workers. TCSG offers world-class training in more than 600 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs to students who are trained on state-of-the-art equipment by instructors who are experts in their fields. The system also houses Georgia’s Office of Adult Education, which promotes and provides adult literacy and education programs, including the GED® testing program, throughout the state. In addition, TCSG partners with companies through Quick Start, the nation’s top customized workforce training program, and through its individual colleges, who work with local industry to provide workforce and training solutions. For more information, visit www.TCSG.edu.
About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a vital solution to the growing U.S. skills gap. This nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry ensures America has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive. Founded in 1965 and endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, the association serves more than 360,000 member students and instructors each year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. This diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level. SkillsUSA programs are integrated into career and technical education through a framework of personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Local, state and national championships designed and judged by industry, set relevant standards for career and technical education and provide needed recognition to its students. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and other workplace credentials. For more information, go to: www.SkillsUSA.org.
CONTACT:
Mark D’Alessio
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