What's Happening in Tacoma, WA…

Kevin Neill, from the Power Sports and Equipment Technology program at Bates Technical College in Tacoma, recently won the SkillsUSA National Skills and Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky for the second year in a row.

Announcements of such accomplishments can be made known to the community through the use of poster printing services.

Neill competed in the Motorcycle Service Technology category and executed tasks that represented those found in the service department of a dealership. Neill said that participating in this competition enabled him to apply what he had learned at the college, challenge his technical skills, and test his ability to respond and handle unknown situations.

Technical skills were judged using motorcycles from Harley-Davidson and included testing knowledge of drive and transmissions systems, suspension and chassis service, and electrical diagnostics, among others. Participants were evaluated based on proper use of reference manuals, organized work habits, good technical skills, and the ability to follow directions.

This was the 55th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference at which there were 6,500 technical education students who competed not only around the clock, but against each other in many categories, ranging from information technology and precision machining to job interviewing and customer service. SkillsUSA is a non-profit partnership of those from industry, instructors, and students that endeavors to ensure the maintenance of a skilled workforce in the United States.