East Hartford, CT — On Friday, April 6, the Goodwin College Manufacturing Program will host the SkillsUSA Computerized Numerical Control Contest at the Business and Manufacturing Center, One Pent Road in East Hartford. More than 24 students from 14 Connecticut technical high schools are expected to compete in contests for both mill and lathe skills. The judges and coaches for the competition will include representatives from a number of Connecticut companies as well as several Goodwin faculty members including CNC instructor Justine Piercy, CNC adjunct professor Don Coffin, and CNC teaching assistant Abdel Qusaib.
The participating students are required to write CNC code from scratch and provide that code for a first trial on a simulator. A judge will the run the article on the machines finally proving the acceptance of the coding.
Finalists from the state-level competition will move on to the National Leadership Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in June. Winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the conference.
“This is an incredibly exciting time in manufacturing education,” said Leonard Walsh, program director and assistant professor, CNC Machining and Supply Chain & Logistics Management, at Goodwin. “Manufacturing is constantly evolving and employers are challenged to fill their available positions with properly trained workers. We’re extremely proud to support initiatives like the SkillsUSA contest that encourages young people to explore career options in manufacturing and ultimately strengthens Connecticut — and the nation’s — workforce.”
The day’s events run from 8 a.m. until approximately 3:30 p.m. Most of the code writing will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The event is open to the public and there is no admission charge. Please contact Leonard Walsh, Program Director and Assistant Professor, CNC Machining and Supply Chain & Logistics Management, at LWalsh@goodwin.edu with questions. For more information about SkillsUSA, visit skillscontests.org or www.nims-skills.org. Learn more about the Manufacturing programs at Goodwin College.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.