Olean, NY – April 12-22, 2021 – Several local students were recently honored as top competitors in their fields in the Skills USA NY State competition that was held virtually for all participants.
The Skills USA events are competitive events showcasing the best career and technical education students in the nation. Contests begin locally and continue through the state and national levels. Key areas of competition include communication, construction, heavy equipment operation, welding, animal sciences, health sciences, hospitality and tourism, human services, information technology, leadership, manufacturing, and STEM.
Many CA BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) students from centers in Belmont, Ellicottville, and Olean competed in the annual competition with several of the students placing.
CTE Center at Belmont:
1st Place – Customer Service – Emily Burdick
2nd Place – Medical Math – Addison Herring
2nd Place – Prepared Speech – Courtney Hitchcock
2nd Place – Esthetics – Mercedes Turybury
CTE Center at Ellicottville:
2nd Place – Automotive Refinishing Technology – Cyle Livingstone – CTE at Ellicottville
CTE Center at Olean:
1st Place – Extemporaneous Speaking – Destiny Rung
3rd Place – TV/Video Production – Jocelyn Decker and Caleb Foster
CA BOCES Assistant Superintendent for Career and Technical Education Programs, James Schifley, was pleased with the level of participation and the overall performance of student competitors. “We had many students from our three centers compete in their respective areas, and I was impressed with the level of skill they demonstrated,” he said. “We train our students to be “career-ready” in their fields, and instances like this allow them to put their skills to the test. The teachers and advisors did an amazing job preparing the students for this event. They had to shift to accomplishing this in a virtual environment which required a great deal of additional time, effort, and resources. The effort was well worth it.”
As the regional leader in education services, CA BOCES offers state-of-the-art programs for learners of all ages and abilities as well as cost-effective shared services for 22 component school districts. CA BOCES empowers students to achieve their maximum potential by offering a wide variety of innovative programs and support that include special education, career and technical education, adult and continuing education, technology support, and instructional support services. To learn more, visit www.caboces.org.