COLUMBUS - Students from nearly 100 schools across Ohio are competing in the 60th annual SkillsUSA Ohio championships this weekend. About 150 students representing Vanguard-Sentinel Career and Technology Centers qualified for the state competition.
Results from the various competitions, which include contests such as carpentry, collision repair technology, health knowledge bowl and residential wiring, are to be announced during an awards ceremony this afternoon, and first-place winners from each contest are to compete at SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference June 22-28 in Kansas City, Mo.
"We'll be delighted to have the Ohio delegation there," said Tim Lawrence, executive director of Skills-USA.
After the opening ceremony Friday, Lawrence said SkillsUSA is a partnership between students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. Officials believe the word "partnership" defines them, he said.
Lawrence said through SkillsUSA, students make a connection to business. He said he was involved in SkillsUSA in West Virginia, and the connection he made changed his life.
Students who participate in SkillsUSA also connect with real-world industry, equipment, tools and supplies and gain self confidence, he said.
"They step out of their shell," he said.
More than 300,000 students and advisers join the organization annually, according to SkillsUSA's website.
