Some past national SkillsUSA machining contestants/winners include:
(front, L-R) Brionna Ashworth, Trent Oswald, Jacob Edwards, (back, L-R)
Madison Qualls, Josh Campbell, Adam Ilconich and Dylan Hardy
In just five years, the Danville-Pittsylvania County precision machining training model has produced 12 college-level competitors for the SkillsUSA Championships, leading to significant SkillsUSA successes. Three winners have ranked in the nation’s top three, and two of those earned a gold medal—one just this past June.
“The competition presents a human resource advantage,” said Integrated Machining Technology (IMT) Director Jeremiah Williams of Danville Community College (DCC), the instructional provider. IMT, housed and financed by the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), is a third-year, elite program at the Gene Haas Center for Integrated Machining. It caps the two-year Precision Machining Technology training at DCC. “The participants have to learn to a whole different level and hone the skills they develop in class. The competition is good for them, and employers take notice.”
DCC Lab Technician Dylan Hardy, an IMT graduate and the area’s first machining gold medalist, now helps prepare other students. He coached current IMT student Josh Campbell, the latest gold winner from DCC’s PMT program. Hardy impacted other SkillsUSA successes as well.
Hardy lauds the state-of-the-art equipment of the IMT program at IALR for helping prepare competitors for SkillsUSA successes. “Because we have the equipment we do, simulating a SkillsUSA nationals environment is easily done,” he said. Williams also pointed to the benefits of expert mentors like Hardy and their impact on the successful competition outcomes. Hardy and others are already planning the first information meeting for those interested in competing next June.
The Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining contests determine the champion CNC Milling Specialist, CNC Technician and CNC Turning Specialist. To qualify, national contestants must finish first in their district and state competitions. They prepare for months for a written test, interview and hands-on evaluations of coding, precision measurements and more. The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), which sets and certifies industry standards, organizes and runs the CNC machining competitions. The Gene Haas Foundation awards competitors with scholarships and a NIMS testing credit for their school.
Successes of Some Past SkillsUSA Competitors and Winners
- Dylan Hardy, a 2016 IMT graduate, won the region’s first college level national gold medal in precision machining for CNC Turning Specialist. Now, as a DCC Lab Technician, he helps prepare other precision machining students for SkillsUSA competitions.
- Richard McCune, a 2016 IMT graduate and national CNC Technician competitor, now works at BWX Technologies Inc.
- 2018 IMT graduate Quin Motley competed nationally for the SkillsUSA CNC Milling Specialist. He now works as a Haas Technician for Phillips Corporation.
- Drew Abner, a 2019 IMT graduate, finished fourth in the nation for the CNC Turning Specialist contest last June. He now works with the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va., where he helps build military-grade prototype weapons.
- Josh Campbell and Madison Qualls, currently completing the IMT program, competed nationally last June for DCC’s PMT program. Campbell won the region’s second college level national gold medal in precision machining for CNC Technician. They say they both plan to compete again.
- Jacob Edwards, Adam Ilconich and Trent Oswald, competed in 2019 as Pittsylvania Career and Technical Center (PCTC) students. They are now in their second year of the PMT program at DCC. Oswald won PCTC’s first precision machining-related national gold medal for CNC Milling Specialist. Edwards, Ilconich and Oswald each say they plan to compete in the 2020 SkillsUSA competition and in the future as IMT students at IALR.
Straight from Integrated Machining Technology (IMT) Students
“It’s geared toward real-life scenarios and production environments. It gets you ready to enter the workforce.” – Josh Campbell, IMT student & national SkillsUSA gold winner, about the IMT program
“I want to become an Industrial Systems Engineer. My time at the Haas Center led me to this decision, because I was able to work with a team and see more than just one side of the shop, from management to running the machines.” – Brionna Ashworth, IMT graduate, national SkillsUSA contestant & Liberty University student, about the IMT program
