KUDOSSkillsUSA Students Mix It Up
in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, MO - Last June, 38 college automotive students faced off in the national SkillsUSA Automotive Service Technology Competition. They were champions in their respective states, and they were there to test their skills against those of similar accomplishments. The stated purpose of the competition is "to evaluate each contestant's preparation for employment and to recognize outstanding students for excellence and professionalism." There were also 50 high school category winners. They competed alongside the college champions, but faced slightly less complex workstations. There were 13 different workstations in both the college and high school competitions, one of which was an ASE-style written exam with 100 questions in both categories. Nowhere to hide The cordoned-off contest area was on the upper level of the Kansas City Convention Center, where spectators could pass by and quietly observe the competitors and the judges while the contest was under way. High school workstations were labeled with big posters in red and white, outlining the concept of the workstation and the related tasks, while college workstations were similarly identified with posters done in black and white. Participants wore safety glasses and followed stringent clothing requirements, including the type and color of shoes. Students had to submit a resume because prospective employers are looking at the high scoring competitors or face a 65-point penalty in points earned at the end of the day. Each workstation consisted of several tasks and scoring was done as a percentage of those tasks completed for a possible total of 1,300 points. No student in the college or high school competitions made a perfect score in every category, although there were students who made perfect scores on some stations. Each workstation had to be completed in 20 minutes.No cake walk Students had to use schematics, a multimeter and a calculator to diagnose electrical circuits related to battery, starting, charging, lighting and accessories. Correct diagnostic strategies were considered extremely important in the competition. The ability to read schematics was crucial, and part of the score had to do with how knowledgeable the student was at connecting and reading test equipment.Contest OutlineCollege WorkstationsHigh School WorkstationsP1-AC System DiagnosisP2-Engine PerformanceP3-AlignmentP4-Environment, Health and SafetyP5-Customer ServiceP6-Electical Circuit TestingP7-Electric DiagnosisP8-ASB BrakesP9-DrivetrainP10-Automatic Transmission ServiceP11-Engine MechanicalP12-Electrical Component Diagnostics & TestingP13-ASE Written TestS1-On-Car Electrical TestingS2-Vehicle InspectionS3-Engine PerformanceS4-Environment, Health and SafetyS5-Job InterviewS6-Electronic Service InformationS7-Electrical Circuit TestingS8-Steering, Suspension & AlignmentS9-Disc Brake ServiceS10-Automatic Transmission ServiceS11-Engine MechanicalS12-Electric Circuit DiagnosticsS13-ASE Written TestThe tests were developed by: ALLDATA, ATech, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Technical Support Operations, GM, Honda, Hunter Engineering, MEGATECH, MAC Tools, Pittsburgh State University Automotive Technology and Automotive Technics, and S/P2 (Safety and Pollution Prevention).
* An Alliance for Assistive Technology, Education and Community Health (ATech).
* Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
* Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES).
* DaimlerChrysler.
* Ford.
* GM.
* Honda.
* Hunter Engineering.
* MAC Tools.
* Snap-on Inc.
* Toyota.
* U.S. Army
Winners The Gold Medal was claimed by Nick Johnson of Havre, MT. He attends Montana State University Northern. Mark McDonald of Columbus Technical College in Columbus, GA, took home the Silver, and Whitney Stults of Beloit, KS, wore the Bronze back to North Central Kansas Tech College. The winners in the high school competition were Scott Tonelli (Gold) from Grafton High School in Grafton, WI; Jack Fredrick (Silver) from Wichita High School North in Wichita, KS; and Devan Fletcher (Bronze) from Mascenic Regional High in New Ipwich, NH.An Instructor's Perspective To observe such a competition is tremendously encouraging, particularly in light of the fact that our nation's pool of aspiring automotive technicians is dwindling and those already qualified are retiring. As an automotive instructor, when I get calls from shops and dealerships wanting technicians nowadays, they generally want more than one - usually two or three. Too many shops and dealerships are hiring any "warm body" with a toolbox to do simple work as a trainee, all the while hoping to discover a prodigy that way. The students I observed at this competition were focused, dedicated and serious about what they were doing.
Even so, however, I watched a few of these state gold medal winners blow certain fairly simple sections of their competitions. For example, one of the electrical stations consisted of the student building a circuit in which a standard ISO relay was to alternately operate both filaments of an 1157 bulb, but the relay was deliberately bugged so that only the normally open contacts were operative. Many, if not most of the students couldn't track down the faulty relay. Consequently, they scored pretty low on the station.
Another concern had to do with the fact that Honda wanted to stack both volumes of its very thick shop manual at the station. Finding information in those massive volumes to properly fix a bugged car in 20 minutes with a strange scan tool is no picnic. As an instructor, I wouldn't have put that kind of pressure on any student, unless he or she was already familiar with the Honda book and handheld tester.Regardless, congratulations are due not only to the winners this year, but also to the contest sponsors, the competitors' teachers, the OE and aftermarket companies who developed the tests, and to all the volunteers who made the event possible. These SkillsUSA competitors are the future of our industry - and we can all be proud of their accomplishments.
in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, MO - Last June, 38 college automotive students faced off in the national SkillsUSA Automotive Service Technology Competition. They were champions in their respective states, and they were there to test their skills against those of similar accomplishments. The stated purpose of the competition is "to evaluate each contestant's preparation for employment and to recognize outstanding students for excellence and professionalism." There were also 50 high school category winners. They competed alongside the college champions, but faced slightly less complex workstations. There were 13 different workstations in both the college and high school competitions, one of which was an ASE-style written exam with 100 questions in both categories. Nowhere to hide The cordoned-off contest area was on the upper level of the Kansas City Convention Center, where spectators could pass by and quietly observe the competitors and the judges while the contest was under way. High school workstations were labeled with big posters in red and white, outlining the concept of the workstation and the related tasks, while college workstations were similarly identified with posters done in black and white. Participants wore safety glasses and followed stringent clothing requirements, including the type and color of shoes. Students had to submit a resume because prospective employers are looking at the high scoring competitors or face a 65-point penalty in points earned at the end of the day. Each workstation consisted of several tasks and scoring was done as a percentage of those tasks completed for a possible total of 1,300 points. No student in the college or high school competitions made a perfect score in every category, although there were students who made perfect scores on some stations. Each workstation had to be completed in 20 minutes.No cake walk Students had to use schematics, a multimeter and a calculator to diagnose electrical circuits related to battery, starting, charging, lighting and accessories. Correct diagnostic strategies were considered extremely important in the competition. The ability to read schematics was crucial, and part of the score had to do with how knowledgeable the student was at connecting and reading test equipment.Contest OutlineCollege WorkstationsHigh School WorkstationsP1-AC System DiagnosisP2-Engine PerformanceP3-AlignmentP4-Environment, Health and SafetyP5-Customer ServiceP6-Electical Circuit TestingP7-Electric DiagnosisP8-ASB BrakesP9-DrivetrainP10-Automatic Transmission ServiceP11-Engine MechanicalP12-Electrical Component Diagnostics & TestingP13-ASE Written TestS1-On-Car Electrical TestingS2-Vehicle InspectionS3-Engine PerformanceS4-Environment, Health and SafetyS5-Job InterviewS6-Electronic Service InformationS7-Electrical Circuit TestingS8-Steering, Suspension & AlignmentS9-Disc Brake ServiceS10-Automatic Transmission ServiceS11-Engine MechanicalS12-Electric Circuit DiagnosticsS13-ASE Written TestThe tests were developed by: ALLDATA, ATech, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Technical Support Operations, GM, Honda, Hunter Engineering, MEGATECH, MAC Tools, Pittsburgh State University Automotive Technology and Automotive Technics, and S/P2 (Safety and Pollution Prevention).
Here are
just two examples of the details of the tests:
P3-Alignment
Developed
by Hunter Engineering using Toyota vehicles.
Task 1: Perform an on vehicle test inspection
Task 2: Read and record alignment measurements.
Task 3: Diagnosis of an alignment condition.
Task 4: Demonstrate alignment correction procedures.
Students demonstrated understanding of alignment angles, set up and use of alignment measuring equipment, and diagnosis of concerns.
S1-On
Car Electrical Testing
Developed by DaimlerChrysler
Task 1: Using the DRBIII
Tasks 2 & 3: Using D/C manuals
Task 4: Using a DVOM and test light
Task 5: Repairing the vehicle
* An Alliance for Assistive Technology, Education and Community Health (ATech).
* Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
* Automotive Youth Educational Systems (AYES).
* DaimlerChrysler.
* Ford.
* GM.
* Honda.
* Hunter Engineering.
* MAC Tools.
* Snap-on Inc.
* Toyota.
* U.S. Army
Winners The Gold Medal was claimed by Nick Johnson of Havre, MT. He attends Montana State University Northern. Mark McDonald of Columbus Technical College in Columbus, GA, took home the Silver, and Whitney Stults of Beloit, KS, wore the Bronze back to North Central Kansas Tech College. The winners in the high school competition were Scott Tonelli (Gold) from Grafton High School in Grafton, WI; Jack Fredrick (Silver) from Wichita High School North in Wichita, KS; and Devan Fletcher (Bronze) from Mascenic Regional High in New Ipwich, NH.An Instructor's Perspective To observe such a competition is tremendously encouraging, particularly in light of the fact that our nation's pool of aspiring automotive technicians is dwindling and those already qualified are retiring. As an automotive instructor, when I get calls from shops and dealerships wanting technicians nowadays, they generally want more than one - usually two or three. Too many shops and dealerships are hiring any "warm body" with a toolbox to do simple work as a trainee, all the while hoping to discover a prodigy that way. The students I observed at this competition were focused, dedicated and serious about what they were doing.
Even so, however, I watched a few of these state gold medal winners blow certain fairly simple sections of their competitions. For example, one of the electrical stations consisted of the student building a circuit in which a standard ISO relay was to alternately operate both filaments of an 1157 bulb, but the relay was deliberately bugged so that only the normally open contacts were operative. Many, if not most of the students couldn't track down the faulty relay. Consequently, they scored pretty low on the station.
Another concern had to do with the fact that Honda wanted to stack both volumes of its very thick shop manual at the station. Finding information in those massive volumes to properly fix a bugged car in 20 minutes with a strange scan tool is no picnic. As an instructor, I wouldn't have put that kind of pressure on any student, unless he or she was already familiar with the Honda book and handheld tester.Regardless, congratulations are due not only to the winners this year, but also to the contest sponsors, the competitors' teachers, the OE and aftermarket companies who developed the tests, and to all the volunteers who made the event possible. These SkillsUSA competitors are the future of our industry - and we can all be proud of their accomplishments.
