Aims Community College hosted a SkillsUSA Regional Competition on Feb. 8 at the Automotive & Technology Center on the Windsor Campus.
Aims Community College Hosts SkillsUSA Regional Competition in Auto Repair and Refinishing
February 09, 2024
Aims students moving on to the statewide SkillsUSA competition, pictured left to right: Kayleigh Kerr, Jesse Manuel, Drew Ayres, Lucian Simpson and Mario Saenz. Aims Automotive instructors pictured left to right in the front row: Kyle Cadarette and Mike Hanscome.
Twenty-two students from Aims and Morgan Community College participated in the auto body and repair skills competition. Eight Aims students competed and five are moving on to state. There are three primary areas of the contest:
- collision repair
- refinishing
- damage appraisal and estimating
Students compete in secondary (high school) and post-secondary (college) divisions.
Contestants are provided tasks to complete and graded on a points scale based on national standards, competency, safety and professionalism. More than 20 industry representatives, shop managers and forepersons from Denver, Cheyenne and Northern Colorado judged the students’ work.
The top finishers in each category will compete in the Colorado State Leadership and Skills Conference on April 9-11 in Pueblo. The statewide contest winners move to the Atlanta national competition on June 24-28. The Aims students moving on to state include:
Collision Repair |Post-Secondary
Mario Saenz | first place
Refinishing | Post-Secondary
Kayleigh Kerr | first place
Drew Ayres | second place
Jesse Manuel | third place
Refinishing | Secondary
Lucian Simpson | first place
Mike Hanscome, an Aims automotive instructor and advisor for the SkillsUSA team at Aims, also sees the competition as a job fair opportunity for students to stand out in front of potential employers looking for technicians. Being a part of SkillsUSA “says they're willing to give that little bit extra to hone a skill to prove that they want to be something,” Hanscome said. “Every student, whether they place at the top or the bottom on that day, is a prospect for employers.”
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen our nation’s skilled workforce. Aims enters its 12th year of participating in the SkillsUSA program with a national medal count of 13 podium finishes and eight national championships.
Aims Community College automotive degree programs are nationally recognized and certified in secondary and post-secondary educational systems, with the National Automotive Technicians and Education Foundation accreditation. The Aims Automotive & Technology Center is on the Windsor Campus. Get more information at aims.co/automotive.
