Students Compete in SkillsUSA Welding at WKCTC

Fifteen area high school students were on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) February 21 to participate in the 2020 SkillsUSA regional welding competition. 

SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.
 
Participating welding students in the February 21 competition represented area technology centers (ATC) in Paducah, Mayfield, Murray, and Graves, Calloway, Hickman, and Fulton counties. Each student had to perform a list of prescribed welding tasks within a given time. 

Ten students participated in the competition's beginner level. The first place winner was Lucas Medley, a Graves County junior who has been welding for three years. "My grandpa is a pipefitter, so I thought I would do this as a hobby." 

Finishing second place in the beginner category was Myles Ambers, a sophomore at Fulton County. He's been welding since his freshman year. "My dad owns a farm, so they've always done welding out there." He wants to continue welding after high school, perhaps making it his career choice.

Eliziah Malone of McCracken County ATC won third place in the beginner level. Calloway County's Abbigal Tabers placed fourth.
Five students competed in the advanced level competition. Levi Kelley and Nathan Herndon, both of Graves County, won first and second place respectively.

"I started welding at the ATC when I was a sophomore; this is my second year in this competition. I placed first in the beginning division last year, so now I'm first in advanced," Kelley said. He is joining the Army after he gets out of high school. "I've welded for my dad since I was a little kid. We build moonshine stills, so it takes a lot of stick welding." Kelley said of Herndon, "Nate's been my best friend since we were freshman. He works for my dad also, so we always compete against each other."

Herndon said, "I've been welding since my sophomore year. I'm going to work for his (Kelley's) dad after high school, building stills. I didn't know what I was going to do through high school, and I had no career pathway set up. And he (Kelley) mentioned welding, so I thought I would try it."
Third place in the advanced competition was Zach Lindsey of Graves County, with Travis Priddle of McCracken County finishing fourth.

Virgil Holland, WKCTC's welding technology program coordinator said, "The importance of this competition is to allow students to push their goals and their limits to where they can perform better than they ever thought they could."

Airgas and Lincoln Electric sponsored this year's welding equipment prizes awarded to student winners, which included auto darkening welding hood helmets, jackets and hats.

First and second winners in both the beginner and advanced level in WKCTC's February 21 competition are eligible to compete at the SkillsUSA state competition held in Louisville in April.