Click here for a PDF version of this article

n an outstanding performance by Georgia’s technical college system, more medals than ever before came home with Georgia students at the national competitions of SkillsUSA-VICA, Phi Beta Lambda and Delta Epsilon Chi. These student organizations, while varying in focus, all aim to develop real-life workplace skills and prepare students for successful careers.

At the SkillsUSA-VICA competition, held last June in Kansas City, Mo., Georgia technical college students garnered 13 awards, including six gold, one silver and six bronze medals (see list of winners on opposite page).

SkillsUSA-VICA serves more than 250,000 high school and college students and professionals in training programs in technical, skilled, health and service occupations.

The 2002 Championships involved more than 4,000 contestants in 73 separate events judged by representatives of labor, education, and business and industry. The goal is to reward students for excellence, involve industry in evaluating student performance and keep training relevant to employers’ needs.

The competition emphasizes hands-on tasks. For example, in the Television (Video) Production category, contestants shoot a one-minute video on location and edit the tape in the contest area. In the Internetworking category, students are given a set of networking equipment (cable, hubs, routers, etc.) and, in a finite amount of time, must install a network to run an Internet application.

One of Georgia’s gold medal winners was Cynthia Elrod, a medical assisting student at Griffin Technical College. Her instructor had encouraged her to enter the medical assisting competition early last year at the state conference in Atlanta. “It was fun and scary and challenging,” Elrod recalls. “I felt good about how I did, but I was still surprised when I won first place.”

Surprise gave way to confidence when she won first place at the national conference, where she had to assess a medical situation in a short period of time and perform a skill required for that situation. Contestants were judged on speed, use of correct safety measures and ability to interact personally with a patient.

Given first pick of many jobs, Elrod instead returned to pursue a degree in practical nursing. “In preparing for the competitions,” she says, “I had to dig deeper, ask questions of my instructor, and study harder.”

Greg Souther, who recently graduated from the aviation maintenance program at Georgia Aviation Technical College in Eastman, agrees. After finishing third in aviation maintenance technology (AMT) at the 2001 state conference, Souther decided to enter again. He prepared by auditing extra classes and doing some composite and sheet metal work. This year, he won the gold at both the state and national conferences.

The AMT competition required contestants to perform 12 tasks that represent the type of maintenance conducted in the industry. The scope of the contest was consistent with the airframe and power plant mechanics certification guide published by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Greg can get a job anywhere he wants,” says Jay Mullis, department chair of aircraft structural technology.

Souther values his heightened confidence even more than the award. “The competition let me know where I am in comparison to others,” he says, adding that it also edged him closer to starting his own business. “I won $3,000 to $4,000 in high-quality tools. Just starting out in this business, it would have taken me years to afford them.”

Confidence in their emerging skills and the quality of their education are key benefits to all SkillsUSA-VICA participants, says Jared Morris of Valdosta Tech, who won first place in computer maintenance at the national conference. “Many of the problems I saw there were ones I had seen before, so I know I’m getting the education I’ll need,” he says.

In the view of John Scott, Ph.D., associate professor of occupational studies at the University of Georgia, SkillsUSA-VICA not only imbues students with confidence but also pushes them beyond book learning to develop the leadership, presentation and relationship skills they’ll need in the business world.

“To compete, they have to get serious about learning those skills,” Scott argues. He urges administration officials and advisers at technical colleges to exploit the potential of SkillsUSA-VICA by promoting faculty leadership and student participation.

“SkillsUSA has a tremendous website [www.skillsusa.org] with a ton of useful information,” he says. “And adviser training is available at all regional and state meetings.”

Scott says technical colleges can boost campus SkillsUSA-VICA participation by mentoring students on the benefits of employability skills such as job interviewing and public speaking. With 71 competitions, all students can benefit from competing.

A prime example of teacher involvement occurred at Georgia Aviation Tech. With Mullis’ encouragement, a flight student entered a prepared speech competition at state, while another conducted a mock ground-school training class. Both, he says, later reported that these efforts were valuable in preparing for their careers.

In that sense, all competitors emerge as winners. “SkillsUSA-VICA showed me I have the capability, and it pushed me to excel,” Elrod says. “This is the beginning of a new plan and a new lifestyle for me.”

WINNING BIG AT PBL
Georgia made yet another strong showing at Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) national convention in Nashville last June. Georgia garnered 20 honors, including three first-place wins, from this student organization that promotes leadership skills, partnerships with local businesses and community service work (see list of winners at left).

Each year, PBL student members have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills mastery in as many as 40 different areas.

But the real gains, says Cheryl Kelly, former PBL state president and a student at Okefenokee Technical College, come from the sense of community and confidence members gain. Kelly joined PBL just six weeks after returning to school after a long absence. Within a few months, she not only had become immersed in her own school’s activities but was interacting with all of Georgia’s 34 technical colleges when she was elected president at the state PBL convention.

“At the national level, Georgia is at the top of the list across the board as far as chapters go,” she says. “When we go to national competition, Georgia walks on a red carpet. The leadership that passes from the state officers to the local officers to the members gets everyone involved.”

Hugh Lofton, Ph.D., an instructor at Moultrie Technical College and state chairman of PBL, credits PBL advisers and school administrators for the Georgia PBL successes.

“PBL advisers are volunteers who give up their time on weekends and at night to help students develop their skills,” he says. “I also thank DTAE for its support of all the student organizations. Other states don’t have that support, and it shows. Georgia is one of the strongest states at the national conference, and others look to us to lead.”

Silver Medalist:
DYLAN BRYAN
Central Georgia Tech,
Internetworking

Bronze Medalists:
CHIQUAIL WALKER
Swainsboro Tech,
First Aid/CPR

BLAINE BETCHEL
Chattahoochee Tech, Industrial
Motor Control

LEMETIA VASSAR
Albany Tech, Preschool
Teaching Assistant

SOUTH GEORGIA TECH TEAM
Robotics and Automation
Technology

COLUMBUS TECH TEAM
Opening and Closing
Ceremonies

CHATTAHOOCHEE TECH TEAM
Television (Video) Production

First Place
EDDIE MURRAY and
PARTRICK FINN
Okefenokee Tech,
Network Design

LAURA DAVIS
Middle Georgia Tech,
Public Speaking

MELVIN THOMPSON
North Georgia Tech,
Quantitative Methods

Second Place
GLORIA WRIGHT
Heart of Georgia Tech,
Visual Basic

MICHAEL ADKINS
Valdosta Tech,
Computer Concepts

Third Place
BETTY COPELAND
West Central Tech,
Accounting Principles

GLORIA WRIGHT and
CALISA ANDERSON
Heart of Georgia Tech,
Desktop Publishing

JESSICA SMITH
North Georgia Tech,
Telecommunications

LATORIA HAWKINS and
CHRISTINA WOMBLE
Sandersville Tech,
Emerging Business Issues

MARK FOSTER
West Central Tech,
Job Interview

ROY MCCLELLAN
Okefenokee Tech,
Computer Software
and Operating Systems

SHANNON CHANDLER
and LINDA KEY
Appalachian Tech,
Business Plan

DEX LEADS THE WAY
Delta Epsilon Chi (DEX), a professional organization geared to students studying marketing and management, encourages students to develop and enhance career leadership skills. Educational and competitive opportunities abound, but none are more anticipated than the annual competitions.

Last April, numerous Georgia DEX members and chapters earned recognition for technical skills and for outstanding community service efforts.

Of course, any organization is only as good as its leaders — and there’s no question Georgia has the best of both. Jimmy Manning, an instructor and student adviser at Valdosta Technical College, was named DEX’s 2002 Adviser of the Year.

But he’s not in it for the accolades. “Going to the
conferences and job fairs is great for me because I get to network with other advisers and exchange information and ideas on new things,” he says.

DEX student members, on the other hand, not only compete but also make connections that can launch careers. “One student presented a prepared sales presentation in a competition,” Manning says. “Afterward, two judges called him over to discuss a job.”

Ultimately, student organizations give students a taste of real-life job situations without the real pressures. “These competitions put students in touch with judges who work in that field and can tell them what they need to improve,” Manning says. “There may never be an absolute right answer, but the business partners know what they want to see.”

Georgia winners also included Steve Wagner from the Technical Division of Clayton College and State University, who won second place in the e-commerce decision-making event. In addition, Athens Tech students Bradley Johnston, Myron Lowe, Charlie Monroe and Richard Reid won third place in the Quiz Bowl.

And six Georgia colleges received the Diamond Chapter Award for outstanding community service: Athens Tech, Albany Tech, Clayton College and State University, Lanier Tech, Middle Georgia Tech and Moultrie Tech.

The DTAE recently recognized the winners from the SkillsUSA-VICA, PBL and DEX competitions, as well as several other high achievers from around the Technical College System. Here are the honorees:

GREEN THUMBS
A team of horticulture students from Acworth’s North Metro Technical College placed higher than any other two-year college squad in competition sponsored by the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA).

Often called the Olympics of the Green Industry, ALCA’s Student Career Days is an annual three-day competition for horticulture students from colleges and universities across the country. In the 2002 event, held at Illinois Central College in Peoria, Ill., more than 50 schools competed, roughly half of which were two-year colleges. The students from North Metro Tech finished sixth overall in team competition.

The 21 different events include such activities as plant identification, landscape design, arboriculture techniques and irrigation design. Top finishers on the North Metro Tech team were Tina Turner, first place in business management; Trace Gabriel and Daniel Galyas, first place in maintenance equipment operation; and Trace Gabriel, second place in compact utility loader operation.

BLUEGRASS AND WEB DESIGN
Fifteen students in the Entertainment Technology program at Chattahoochee Technical College won two awards in the video category from the Broadcast Education Association. The group’s Red, White and Bluegrass won first place, and Entertainment Technology Report won second place. In addition, Red, White and Bluegrass won the grand prize among all award winners from the 13 schools competing at the conference, held in Las Vegas in April 2002.

Red, White and Bluegrass, a documentary about bluegrass music that was written, narrated, performed and edited by Chattahoochee Tech students, also won a regional Emmy award from the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences.

Chattahoochee Tech also shined in national competition sponsored by the Association of Information Technology Professionals.

For the third straight year, students in the school’s Computer Information Systems program placed in the top three positions at the annual National Collegiate Conference. At last year’s conference, held in Kansas City, Mo., Melany Howard and Michael O’Dell won third place in the website design category.

COUNTING ON SUCCESS
A Gwinnett Technical College student outperformed 264 students enrolled in two-year accounting programs across the country. Ping Xiao scored the highest grade in the nation on an examination to become an Accredited Business Accountant (ABA), subsequently landing a job as a junior accountant with the firm Eric Young CPA.

“This is a testament to what we do at our college,” says Lanny Nelms, director of Gwinnett Tech’s accounting program. Noting that today’s graduates are being offered positions as junior accountants and staff accountants rather than bookkeepers, Nelms attributes this trend to Gwinnett Tech’s comprehensive accounting curriculum.

Xiao, who is from China, impressed Nelms as an extremely bright but softspoken young lady who asks few questions. “It’s amazing that a person could come here from a foreign country, first encounter a language barrier and then jump into accounting, which is another language in itself,” he says. “Seeing a person so humble get so excited about her performance on the exam was really wonderful.”