Approximately 440 students and advisers from 50 high schools throughout Wisconsin are expected at UW-Stout for the Regional SkillsUSA event Thursday and Friday, Feb. 22-23.
UW-Stout is hosting the event for the 35th straight year. Students will compete in categories such as photography, precision machining, carpentry, architectural drafting, welding, public speaking, job interview and team problem-solving.
Six new competitions have been added: 3D printing and design, additive manufacturing, entrepreneurship, facilithon, first aid/CPR, and robotics urban search and rescue.
In robotics urban search and rescue, two-person teams build in advance a robot with a mechanical arm. The robot will be remotely operated in a simulated building to locate, secure and dispose of artificial ordnance. In additive manufacturing, contestants will design a part on a computer and 3D-print it at the contest; it will be strength-tested in a destructive manner.
The event begins Thursday with leadership competitions from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center. Skills competitions will be in four campus buildings from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, with auto service technology held at Menomonie High School.
An awards ceremony is from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Friday in the Great Hall of the student center.
Several competition categories are open to middle school students.
UW-Stout’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Management is sponsoring Regional SkillsUSA. Approximately 75 UW-Stout students and 25 faculty and staff are volunteering.
The regional event helps competitors prepare for state and national SkillsUSA events. SkillsUSA is based in Virginia and has more than 13,000 student chapters in the U.S.
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