Ten East Mississippi Community College students placed in the statewide SkillsUSA competition held earlier this month.
Of the 10, five automotive services technology students will continue on to the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky. Students from both the automotive technology and welding technology programs competed in the event, which ran April 10-11 at multiple locations in Jackson and the surrounding area.
The motorcycle repair component was hosted by Harley Davidson and the marine engine competition was hosted by Bass Pro Shops. The diesel competition was hosted by Hinds Diesel Academy.
All 10 of the EMCC students competing took home medals. Automotive students competing included: Kyle Bluitt, first place job skill demonstration (oil change), Cameron Hitt, first place automotive service technology, Andrew McKay, third place diesel equipment technology, Dillon Miles, first place marine service technology, Matt Walsh, first place job skill demonstration (disc brakes) and Gray Watson, first place motorcycle service technology.
Welding students competing included Keegan Bearden, Douglas Fisher and Matthew Talbot, second place welding team fabrication, Emerson Shinn, third place welding sculpture and Luke Crowley, second place CNC milling.
“We have great instructors at EMCC and I felt like I was prepared going into the competition,” Hitt said. “I was a little nervous during the interview portion but I really wasn’t surprised at the results.”
Automotive technology instructor Dale Henry said the students practiced constantly leading up to the competition.
“I thought that we were very fortunate to come out with the results that we did with the people that were there,” Henry said.
Henry said the success of his students in the competition would help boost the reputation of EMCC’s programs and could potentially lead to employment opportunities.
“The students are supplied with resources that they need to study and look over to get ready for the contest, and then once they’ve done their due diligence and put their due diligence and put their time in, we meet with them either before class or after class, sometimes on Saturdays,” Henry said. “I mean, we’ve met on Sunday afternoons before.”
EMCC automotive and welding students have both been successful in the SkillsUSA competition and others since the beginning.
“It’s kind of twofold,” Henry said. “First of all, it gets your name out there in out-ofdistrict territories, because when we meet in Jackson, every district is represented at this contest. First of all, it’s exposure and second of all sometimes you have guys and you’re not sure what kind of work ethic they have, or how dedicated they are, and sometimes it exposes an instructor to a student that needs a job, or and is employable.”
EMCC has been successful at the national competition, including a second place award in marine engines in 2017 and a first place award in automotive technology from the year prior, leading to the department receiving a 2015 Cadillac ATS.