SkillsUSA tests students technical knowledge

SkillsUSA had its opening ceremony Monday evening, where students heard from many people involved with the annual competition.

The Montana state competition has been held at Montana State University-Northern since it began and brings in students from all over the state.

Greg Kegel, the dean of the college of technical sciences at MSU-N, said he has been involved with SkillsUSA in one way or another since 1972.

"I came came here as a student and competed for four years," Kegel said. "The first time I became truly involved was in 1976 as an adviser."

For most of his years with SkillsUSA, he was chair of a contest. The chairs oversee the judges. This is the first year he has not been a chair.

"As dean for the last 12 years, I've been chair for a variety of contests," Kegel said. "Northern students compete in a variety of competitions. They've won a number of state competitions."

Many Northern students have continued on to the nationals competition over the year, Kegel said. This year, students who place first will be traveling to Kansas City to test themselves against students from all around the country.

Kegel said Northern students have placed first in nationals in the electrical, diesel, automotive plumbing and other competitions since he became involved.

"We've done very well," Kegel said.

Kegel said students who are members of the SkillsUSA Club are the only ones who can compete. SkillsUSA members are involved with the club year-round, but the ultimate goal is to go to the national competition.

High school and college students taking a part in SkillsUSA and the state and national-level competitions have a lot of incentive to succeed, Kegel said. Winners of competition are given gifts like fuel sets worth thousands of dollars and automobiles every year.

The competition is also a huge resume builder, Kegel said. He added that anyone who is anyone in companies is at the national competition.

The majority of students at the competition at Northern were high school students, but many college-level students from Northern and MSU-Billing were also testing themselves Tuesday. There are different tasks for the high school-level competitors than the college-levels. For instance, the college students in the diesel competition had to do a pre-trip CDL check on a semi-trailer and high school students has to do one on a pickup truck.

Justin Smith, a Northern student, was the judge for the high school pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspections for the high school students in the Farm Mechanics Building Tuesday.

Smith said the inspections are part of the process in obtaining a CDL and that this is where most people fail in real life.

"If you don't pass this, you don't get your CDL," Smith said.

This is Smith's first year with SkillsUSA. He said he thought joining the club would be a good idea because he has been working on engines most his life.

"I've been a wrench-turner forever," Smith said.

The diesel section of the competition was split up into around 13 stations where students had to complete tasks like correctly identifying parts and doing inspections.

There were many competitions in different fields on campus Tuesday and the closing ceremony was at 10 this morning.

"The decisions you make today are going to rule your life tomorrow," Kegel said at the opening ceremony. " ... Get prepared, do your work and there's a great career out there for you."

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