Hard work pays off for OTC students at SkillsUSA district competition

On Feb. 8, 2023, OTC technical education students brought home a total of 70 medals from the annual Southwest Missouri SkillsUSA District Competition. The district held contests in nine separate locations, including OTC, with almost 500 students competing from eight different career centers and tech centers. Competitors showcased their abilities, completing written and skilled hands-on contests in categories such as computer programming, technical drafting, culinary arts, automotive refinishing and welding fabrication.

“Our students’ hard work and dedication created great results, and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Andrea Twyford, OTC coordinator of high school technical education and lead advisor for the OTC SkillsUSA organization. “We are excited to move forward to state competition at the end of March.”

SkillsUSA is a national association that serves teachers, high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations. The goal of the organization is to ensure that the country has a skilled workforce.

Here are OTC’s winners from the district competition. Multiple students, individuals and teams will go directly to state competition based on their achievements. State winners are eligible to compete in the National SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta.

Congratulations to all our OTC competitors! Go Eagles!