Alexandria, La., June 28, 2017 — Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) students Jessica Solis and Ashley Augustine were awarded gold and silver medals, respectively, at the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference and SkillsUSA Championships. The competition was held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. Solis and Augustine competed June 21 and June 22.
Solis, a practical nursing student at the Jena Campus, won gold in the medical math category where contestants demonstrate their knowledge of general math concepts used in the healthcare fields.
Augustine, a business student at the Cottonport Campus, won silver in the customer service category where contestants are evaluated on their proficiency in providing customer service through live scenarios. CLTCC’s SkillsUSA Chapter Advisor and Welding Instructor Ashley Boyd, Jena Campus, also won SkillsUSA State Advisor of the Year for Louisiana.
"These championships are truly the Olympics for career and technical colleges,” said CLTCC Chancellor Jimmy Sawtelle. “To win two medals on a national level is outstanding. It shows that our students are getting the hands-on skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce and that they can perform under pressure.”
The SkillsUSA Championships are for high school and college students who are members of SkillsUSA. All winners receive medallions and frequently receive tools of their trade and/or scholarships to further their careers and education. This year, more than 6,000 students from every state and two territories competed in 100 contests in technical, skilled and service occupations. To qualify for the national competition, students compete in local and state contests where the state gold medal winners advance to the national championships. The contests are run with the help of industry, trade associations and labor organizations, and test competencies are set by industry.
"SkillsUSA allows students to see how they are performing compared to other students in the same program from schools across the country,” said Chapter Advisor and Welding Instructor Ashley Boyd. “Most importantly, they get to see how important job skills are in the real world.”
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 members become world-class workers and responsible American citizens.
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.
Editor’s Note: Please see attached photos of Jessica Solis, Ashley Augustine and the entire CLTCC SkillsUSA team. The impact of SkillsUSA is phenomenal. Watch this news clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ8qoIOBFxM&feature=youtu.be to learn more about the SkillsUSA Championships.
Media Contact:
Fran Phoenix
(318) 487-5443, ext. 1124
[email protected]
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