Automotive Skills Challenge Held at Arapahoe Community College

(March 13, 2007-Littleton, Colo.) On two days in late February the SkillsUSA Automotive District Competition was held at Arapahoe Community College (ACC). 

SkillsUSA is the national organization for students in trade, industrial, technical and health career education programs such as ACC’s Automotive Technology program. The SkillsUSA Championships are held annually to recognize the achievements of technical education students and to encourage them to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen careers.
Working against the clock and each other, high school and college participants proved their expertise in Automotive Technology during the district competitions. The contest for high school students was held on February 23.  The participating students represented ACC’s Arapahoe/Douglas Career Technical School (ACTS), Smoky Hill High School Automotive and Overland High School Automotive. College students pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in Automotive Technology degree from ACC competed on February 26. 

“Hands-on” contests were planned and evaluated by a committee made up of faculty and industry representatives and each tested the skills needed for a successful entry-level performance as an automotive technician. Exercising safety practices and procedures also constituted a portion of each contestant's score. The contest stations tested the hands-on and diagnostic aptitude of students in the areas of brakes, electrical, engines, air conditioning as well as manual transmissions and drive axles.  The high school students also competed in “soft skills” such as job interviewing, customer service, and technical math.

The following high school students won these contests:  Automotive Service Hands On, 1st Place – Jon Sanderson, (ACTS), 2nd Place – Teren Helfner (ACTS), and 3rd Place – Chris Ely (Smoky Hill); Interview Contest, 1st Place – Dustin Price (ACTS),  2nd Place – Marcus Sturm (ACTS) and 3rd Place – Josh Vallana (ACTS); Customer Service Contest, 1st Place – Tim Laurie (ACTS), 2nd Place – Hunter Lasko (Overland), 3rd Place – Phil Bridges (ACTS);  Automotive Technical Math, 1st Place – David Tanner (ACTS); 2nd Place – Caleb DeGraffenried (ACTS) and 3rd Place – Marc Mendes, (ACTS).

The top three placers of the collegiate “hands on” competition were: 1st Place - Matt Howard, an ACC apprentice who works at Joe Ferguson Pontiac/Buick/GMC in Colorado Springs and plans to finish his studies at ACC in the fall of this year; 2nd Place – Jeff Schreiner, a first-year ACC apprentice who works at Weld County Garage in Greeley and plans to graduate in May 2008; and 3rd Place – Ryan Lewis, an ACC apprentice who works at Burt Chevrolet in Parker and plans to graduate this fall.

The winners of these contests will compete at the Colorado Leadership and Skills Championships in Colorado Springs on April 19 & and 20.

Arapahoe Community College is extremely grateful to the following tool companies who collectively donated prizes for the students:  Snap-on Tools, MATCO Tools, AIS Tools, CSK Tools, and Danaher Tools. 

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