Dilling Group Inc. (DGI) was proud to host the 2018 Tennessee SkillsUSA Welding Competition at our Charleston TN Fabrication Shop. There were 34 students (24 High School students and 10 Community College Students) from across the state of Tennessee participating in this 2-day event. SkillsUSA’s mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens. The focus of the contest was to evaluate each student’s preparation for employment and to recognize outstanding students for excellence and professionalism in the field of welding.
There were 5 tests administered to determine their skill and knowledge which included: A carbon weld test, a stainless weld test, a torch test, a written test and a mock interview. After the vigorous tests, there were 6 total winners (3 from each division).
The presentation ceremony was held on Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at the Chattanooga Convention Center with 2200 contestants and 300 instructors and volunteers in attendance.
The community college winners were:
#508 Michael Evans, TCAT, Dickson TN – Gold
#506 Chucky Conley, TCAT, Elizabethton TN – Silver
#503 Darrel Byrum, TCAT, Chattanooga TN - Bronze
The high school winners were:
#124 Whitten Williams, Ben W Hooper CTE, Newport TN - Gold
#109 William Green, TCAT – Harriman High School, Harriman TN – Silver
#110 Daniele Davis, Greene Technology Center, Greeneville TN - Bronze
In addition to postponing shop production for the 2 day event, the Dilling Group team provided five judges: Casey Ott, Chris Walker, Mike Harlan, Stephanie Laug, Amy Payne, with two additional volunteer judges: Wayne Blamire and JD McCann.
Dilling Group Project Manager, Anthony Carpenter, commented that “we had a great time sharing our knowledge and look forward to seeing these students in the workforce soon.”
Mark Parmeter, VP of Construction, shared that “the enthusiasm and skills level of these young people was impressive and I’m sure that they will be assets to any employer. Our Dilling team was pleased to be a part of this important event and look forward to many years of participation.”
Sponsoring partners in our effort include: Airgas, Red-D-Arc and United Rentals. Some employers that came to speak with the students were: Wacker Polysilicon and Nokian Tyre. We look forward to participating in this exciting event next year – April 1-3, 2019.
Dilling Group Inc is a family owned industrial contractor headquartered in Indiana with multiple regional offices in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Louisiana. Celebrating 70 years of experience, DGI has a long history of investing in the recruitment and training of young people in the skilled trades and this is just one example of our commitment to a strong and well-trained workforce. For more information about the Dilling Group, please visit our website at www.dillinggroup.com.
Some photos of the event are available here.
