KANSAS CITY, MO

Cabinetmaking, carpentry and architectural drafting students were among the winners at the annual SkillsUSA Championships, held June 23 and 24. The 46th annual competition drew more than 14,000 students, educators and representatives of 1,100 national corporations, associations, business and labor unions. The National Leadership and Skills Conference is a showcase for career and technical education. SkillsUSA serves more than 300,000 students and instructors annually. The organization has 13,000 school chapters in 54 state and territorial associations.

The annual SkillsUSA Championships encompassed 96 hands-on skill and leadership competitions, including several closely tied to woodworking careers, such as cabinetmaking, architectural drafting, CNC milling and automated manufacturing technology.

In the cabinetmaking competition, contestants must build a small cabinet from materials and drawings supplied. Contestants are expected to read the drawings, lay out and cut the parts using a table saw, laminate trimmer, hand drill, hinge boring machine and various hand tools. The parts must be accurately assembled, sanded and adjusted to tolerances specified by the judges.

The members of the national technical committee for cabinetmaking include: Chair Roger Holmes, DeWALT Factory Service (NY); Jerry Brewer, Ohio Valley Door Corp. (IN); Ilaria Fekeza, Architectural Woodwork Institute (VA); Kent Gilchrist, Fremont Interiors Inc. (IN); Kyle Gillingham, (WI); and Charlie Zizumbo, Salina Planing Mill, Inc. (KS).

A national education team assists the national technical committee. Members include: Chair Robert Studdard, Rolla Technical Institute (Mo.); Chris Affolter (Mo.); Jordan Backs, Pittsburg State University (Mo.); Joe Davis, Dale Jackson Career Center (Texas); Alan Gomez, Sun Prairie Area School District (Wis.); Terry O'Reilly, Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Program (Mo.); Andre Pease, Virginia Beach Vo-Tech (Va.); Craig Strope, Nichols Career Center (Mo.); A.J. Tinker, Rolla Technical Institute (Mo.); Kathleen Turner, Riverton High School (Utah); Bryan Wolf, Nichols Career Center (Mo.); Myles Yates, Dallas County Career Center (Mo.); and, Robert York, Four Rivers Career Center (Mo.).

Other supporting organizations include Architectural Woodworking Institute; Calculated Industries; Carhartt; DEWALT Industrial Tool Co.; IRWIN Industrial Tool Co.; Lowe’s Companies, Inc.; and Senco Brands, Inc.

Competitions in other woodworking industry related arenas  include:

• architectural drafting>>
• CNC milling>>
• carpentry>>
• and automated manufacturing>>