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Letter to the Editor

TeamUSA Participates in World Skills Competitions in Switzerland

To date, national associations have entered 700 competitors, who will be accompanied by the same number of international experts in their various trades. Never in the history of these biennial World Skills Competitions have so many young people competed for medals, as they will in St Gallen later this month.

The national winners from 36 countries in 40 trades are heading for St Gallen later this week. The 700 competitors from 36 countries have qualified as the best in their trades through national selection competitions in all the participating countries. In the USA, this is done through SkillsUSA/VICA, the official designated organization to choose TeamUSA.

Local, state and national competitions, known as the SkillsUSA Championships, are held and top national competitors are invited to attend "trials" to earn an opportunity to be chosen to represent their country at the International event.

At the upcoming World Skills Competitions, young people will compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals using computer-controlled machining centers, automotive service and repair tools and equipment, cutters, bricks, welding equipment and a wide variety of other special tools. In addition, there will be over fifty workshops for the demonstration trades – cosmetics, webdesign, polymecanics engineering.

The World Skills Competitions will provide young spectators with a unique insight into today's trade and working world, including such modern trades as Information Technology, Pattern Making, Manufacturing Team Challenge, and IT Support. Experienced experts will be able to compare different working methods from diverse countries in one central location.

In order to enhance youth employment opportunities, create economic competencies and capacities, and win and/or hold a top position in the international marketplace, good basic training of the largest possible part of the population is a prerequisite for success. In this context, basic and advanced training in an apprenticeship or occupational mentoring system is of particular value.

The World Skills Competitions, which were founded and are coordinated by the International Vocational Training Organisation (IVTO), will continue to take place in large cities on different continents. As in 1997, this year’s World Championships will be held again in St Gallen – a compact city with only 75,000 inhabitants. Previous venues have been Montreal, Canada in 1999; and Seoul, South Korea in 2001.

The Swiss organizers expect a total of 150,000 - 200,000 visitors determined witness, first-hand, the World Skills Competition, which is representing the world's biggest vocational/technical training display.

"The whole of Switzerland is pleased to host these international young tradespeople," said Switzerland’s President, Pascal Couchepin. "We want our young international guests to find optimal conditions for fair, interesting and lively competitions here in Switzerland, and to take home not only medals, but also memories of pleasant experiences in an international community."

TeamUSA will be made up of eight students competing in seven competitions—Auto Service Technology, Cabinetmaking, CNC Turning, Hairdressing, Mechatronics (two-member team), Refrigeration and Welding.

Team members selected to date are:

• Auto Service Technology — Rusty Brown, Pittsburg State University, KS/Paul Manley (alternate), Ramona High School, CA
• Cabinetmaking — Adam Peterson, Hennepin Technical College, MN
• CNC Turning — Samuel Davenport, Central Piedmont Community College, NC
• Refrigeration — Craig Dort, Ozarks Technical Community College, MO
• Hairdressing – Crystal Pruskowski, Crawford County Area Vo Tech, PA
• Mechatronics – Allen Stenzel, Central Community College, NE/Casey Calouette, Bay College, MI/Alternate: Brad Cihlar, Alexandria Technical College, MI
• Welding – Miles Tilley, Washtenaw Community College, MI

"I'm looking for dedication, heart and all-out effort from our team," said TeamUSA Leader Mark Claypool. "Other countries may have trained for many more years than we have been able to, given our educational system, but I have never seen any country that could compete with the heart of an American at these competitions."

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