Alexandria, La., June 21, 2017 — Students and faculty from Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) traveled to Louisville, Ky., on Monday to compete in the national SkillsUSA championships from June 19 to June 23. The championships will take place today and tomorrow during the 53rd annual National Leadership and Skills Conference, a showcase of career and technical education students. More than 16,000 people - including students, teachers and business partners - are expected to participate in the weeklong event.
The students competing in the national competition are the gold medal winners from the 2017 Louisiana Post-Secondary SkillsUSA competition held in April. CLTCC students won five gold medals in the state competition. Ashley Augustine, business program, Avoyelles Campus, won the gold medal in customer service; Jessica Solis, practical nursing program, Jena Campus, won the gold medal in medical math; Lindsey Tucker, practical nursing program, Leesville Campus, won the gold medal in practical nursing; Reggie Parrish, Benjamin Jones, Mark Jaramillo, and Ryan Lovasz, welding program, Jena Campus, won the gold medal in team works; and Bettydean Gaspard, Brice Rachal, and Dominic Riviere, welding program, Alexandria and Avoyelles Campuses, won the gold medal in welding fabrication.
These students, along with thousands of other gold medal winners from Louisiana and other states will compete in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields. Students work against the clock and each other, proving their expertise in occupations such as customer service, electronics, medical assisting, practical nursing, welding and other career fields. Contests are run with the help of industry, trade associations and labor organizations, and test competencies are set by industry.
"We are very proud of these students and wish them well as they showcase the career and technical training skills learned from CLTCC on a national level," said CLTCC Chancellor Jimmy Sawtelle. "This also is an opportunity for students to meet with business and industry and see first-hand the skills employers are looking for in today's job market."
SkillsUSA is a national organization with more than 300,000 members and is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. Its mission is to help its members become world-class workers and responsible American citizens and prepares students with employability skills that industry values.
CLTCC is a two-year technical and community college offering associate degrees, technical diplomas, industry certificates, and customized training in more than 20 disciplines to support local workforce development and prepare students for good-paying jobs. CLTCC serves nine parishes in Central Louisiana through its seven locations and provides instruction in three state prisons and two federal correctional institutions. For more information, visit www.cltcc.edu.
Media Contact:
Fran Phoenix
(318) 487-5443, ext. 1124
[email protected]
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