This weekend I had the opportunity to serve as a judge for the Skills USA Regional Competition along with my brothers Dave Norfolk, Neil Wilford, Jack Ryan, Mike McHale, Jerome Miller, and Mike Maksim who graduated from the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC).
The Skills USA Regional Competition was held at Mergenthaler High School located in Baltimore City. It was composed of students across the State of Maryland who assembled to face off in a competition of skill, accuracy, safety, neatness, and etc. My specific participatory input was the electrical completion.
I entered the JATC at the age of twenty (20), and it was inspiring to see sixteen and seventeen year old teenagers face off to display their electrical knowledge. The competition involved/included mounting a panel, using the proper wire size, supporting the boxes and wire, as well as wiring switches, electrical outlets, and dryer plugs. There was a three hour time limit and they were given a sheet of blueprints to do the job.
To me, the participants in the competition displayed their knowledge for electrical work, and their leadership and accountability. One comment that stuck with me was when one of the Judges said
“I remember this young man from last year’s competition and you can see his skill level has developed well over a year” – Jerome Miller
As we rotated to the stations to evaluate the work, you could see the proud teachers and parents smiling at the work that their students and children completed. Some parents were so proud; they must have taken dozens of pictures. It was truly a rewarding moment!
I would like to thank Skills USA for preparing our youth for the future, Mergenthaler High School for hosting the competition, and the JATC for sponsoring the event. Finally, I would like to thank my Training Director, Dave Norfolk, for giving me the opportunity to brighten the days of Maryland’s future construction tradesmen.
