TCSG: Georgia technical college students take top medal count in national skills competition

Southern Regional Technical College students also among 11 selected for world competition

Atlanta, Ga. – Georgia is now the top state in the U.S. for the number of medals awarded in a national skills competition. Georgia high school and technical college students who progressed to the 2017 SkillsUSA National Conference after winning at the state-level competition brought home a combined total of 90 medals, up from 68 in 2016 and the most awarded to Georgia competitors in recent years.

“This is an outstanding achievement, especially considering that Georgia ranks 14^th in membership in SkillsUSA,” said Gretchen Corbin, Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia. “It speaks volumes to the exceptional quality of talent that our high schools and colleges are training to enter the workforce in our state.”

In addition, a technical college team from Georgia has been selected to compete in WorldSkills, which is held every two years. Corey Cleghorn and Joshua Whittington from Southern Regional Technical College’s 2015 Mechatronics team will compete in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in October. They will be two of 11 competitors SkillsUSA has selected to compete in 10 contests.

SkillsUSA is a national, nonprofit student organization that has developed more than 10 million workers through active partnerships between employers and educators. Hundreds of American industries have turned to SkillsUSA as the source for employees who exemplify “Champions at Work” in both skills and attitudes. Each March, SkillsUSA Georgia holds a statewide competition, the single largest construction event in the Southeastern United States. Winners go on to the national competition in Louisville, Ky. The national event will move to Atlanta in 2021.

Georgia Postsecondary, the state’s technical college contingent, sent 111 contestants to Louisville for the event, held June 19-23, and won a total of 53 medals: 24 gold, 12 silver and 17 bronze. The top three total medal recipient chapters were: Savannah Technical College (8); tied for 2^nd place were Oconee Fall Line Technical College (7) and Georgia Northwestern Technical College (7); and tied for 3^rd place were Gwinnett Technical College (6) and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College (6).

Top three gold medal recipient chapters were: Oconee Fall Line Technical College (7), Central Georgia Technical College (4), and tied for 3^rd place were Gwinnett Technical College (3) and Georgia Piedmont Technical College (3).

The Dr. John Scott Award for highest-scoring individual competitor in Georgia Postsecondary went to Heidy Sosa from Gwinnett Technical College in the Health Occupations Professional Portfolio contest. The Curtiss Bell Award for highest-scoring team competitors in Georgia Postsecondary was a tie between the Opening & Closing Ceremonies team from Oconee Fall Line Technical College and the 3-D Visualization & Animation team from Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

Additionally, Georgia Northwestern Technical College received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for Families and Groups. The President’s Volunteer Service Award is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation on behalf of the President of the United States to recognize the best in the American spirit, and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service, and civic participation. The college was previously awarded SkillsUSA Georgia Postsecondary’s highest honor, the Chapter of Distinction award.

About the Technical College System of Georgia

The 22 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) are Georgia’s top resource for skilled workers. TCSG offers world-class training in more than 600 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs to students who are trained on state-of-the-art equipment by instructors who are experts in their fields. The system also houses Georgia’s Office of Adult Education, which promotes and provides adult literacy and education programs, including the GED® testing program, throughout the state. In addition, TCSG partners with companies through Quick Start, the nation’s top customized workforce training program, and through its individual colleges, who work with local industry to provide workforce and training solutions. For more information, visit www.TCSG.edu.

About SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a vital solution to the growing U.S. skills gap. This nonprofit partnership of students, instructors and industry ensures America has the skilled workforce it needs to stay competitive. Founded in 1965 and endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, the association serves more than 335,000 member students and instructors each year in middle schools, high schools and colleges. This diverse talent pipeline covers 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, the majority STEM-related. More than 600 corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions actively support SkillsUSA at the national level. SkillsUSA programs are integrated into career and technical education through a framework of personal, workplace and technical skills grounded in academics. Local, state and national championships designed and judged by industry, set relevant standards for career and technical education and provide needed recognition to its students. SkillsUSA also offers technical skill assessments and other workplace credentials. For more information, go to: www.SkillsUSA.org.

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Contact: Alison Tyrer

              404-327-6913

              atyrer@tcsg.edu