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Student welders showcase their talents in regional SkillsUSA competition

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 4 months AGO
by DEVIN WEEKS
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | February 8, 2020 1:00 AM

RATHDRUM — Showers of orange sparks cascaded from workstations to the floor as student welders meticulously completed their projects Friday at the Parker Technical Education Center in Rathdrum.

As the young folks say, this competition was lit.

“I enjoy every aspect of it. I like catching fire, I like playing with fire," Timberlake High/Kootenai Technical Education Campus senior Cory Stacy said with a grin. "Grinders, hammers. It’s all fun."

Stacy and about 50 other students from KTEC, Lakeland and Sandpoint showcased their welding and fabrication abilities as they competed in the yearly regional SkillsUSA competition, hosted by North Idaho College.

The students were tasked with performing multiple industry techniques: oxy-fuel cutting, shielded metal arc welding and flux-cored arc welding. They were given the instructions upon arrival, just as they could expect at a job site if they decide to pursue careers in this field.

"They walk in, they’ve never seen the blueprints. They’re handed instructions and we say, 'Here you go,'" said NIC welding technology professor Tim Straw, who oversees the competition.

“We try to mimic in this competition and our program what they’d have to do in industry to get the job," he said. "This is a career, and a skill they learn and they can use forever. If they want to go into the welding field, the options are unlimited for what you can do."

Lakeland High junior Dawson Lee competed last year. He said he wasn't feeling as confident about his work this year, but he still enjoyed participating.

"I like the idea of competitions in welding,” he said. "I really enjoy the fabricating and welding field, and I think it’s cool we can compete."

Hunter Andres, another Lakeland junior, was also happy to come together with other welding students to show off their skills.

“I came here last year and I actually made it to state,” said Andres, who plans to be a civil engineer when he graduates. "You go to Boise and do kind of the same thing as here — cut, weld, a few different styles — then it’s graded just like it is here. At state it was kind of cool because we got to talk to the other competitors and see what their shop is like, see what they know, pick up tips and tricks."

The regional winners will advance to the 2020 SkillsUSA Idaho State Leadership and Skills Conference April 2 and 3 in Boise.

And the winners are:

Overall: Travis Doty, KTEC

First place, cutting: Seth Haddy, KTEC

First place, flux-cored arc welding: Clay Lawrie, Lakeland

First place, shielded metal arc welding: Hunter Andres

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Sandpoint High School senior Gordon McPherson welds a horizontal fillet during the 8th annual High School Regional Welding Skills Competition Friday at the Parker Technical Education Center in Rathdrum.

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Timberlake High School senior Cory Stacy cuts a circle during the 8th annual High School Regional Welding Skills Competition at the Parker Technical Education Center in Rathdrum. Welding industry judges evaluated welding students on consistency, ability to interpret blueprints and the ability to compete welds in 30 minutes time.

MORE FRONT-PAGE-SLIDER STORIES

Young welders showcase talents in SkillsUSA contest
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