(St. Louis, MO) On Friday, February 6, Ranken Technical College will host the SkillsUSA district championships at their main Central West End campus. Ranken students will compete with about 160 other local high school and college students in technical fields such as: Architectural Drafting, Automated Manufacturing, Automotive Refinishing, Automotive Service, Carpentry, CNC Milling, CNC Turning, Collision Repair, HVAC, Precision Machining, Residential Wiring and Technical Drafting.
Registration for the day’s events will begin at 7:30 a.m.; contests will end between noon and 5:00 p.m.
Winners from the district event will go on to compete in the Missouri state finals, to be held at Linn State Technical College, April 2-4, 2009. Several Ranken students have placed highly at the state level in past years, and in 2007 Ranken students took first place in the nation in the Automated Manufacturing Technology competition.
Vice President for Education, John Wood, said that Ranken hosts SkillsUSA events because “We want to show support by participating in the district competitions, and demonstrate our respect for the quality of the vocational programs in local high schools. We also enjoy putting our students up against the best of the best.”
Since 1907, Ranken Technical College has served the St. Louis region by providing skilled labor through hands-on, state-of-the-art training in a variety of technical disciplines. Ranken prepares students for successful careers in their chosen technical fields by placing emphasis on technical training, general education and professionalism. The College offers Associate of Technology and Science degrees in five core divisions—Automotive, Construction, Electrical, Information Technology and Manufacturing, as well as Bachelor of Science degrees in Architectural Technology and Applied Management. Ranken is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information about Ranken Technical College, visit www.ranken.edu or call (866) 4RANKEN.
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. It is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled work force.