Skills USA National Gold Medalist Follows Unconventional Path Toward Rewarding Future Career in Manufacturing
Dearborn, MI (PRWEB) July 31, 2013 -- Just named 2013 SkillsUSA CNC Lathe Gold Medalist at the recent SkillsUSA championship competition in Kansas City, Adam Prante realized at an early age the importance of enhancing his education while preparing for a career in manufacturing. With 30,000 students participating in the national competition, competing across a range of technical disciplines, Prante outplaced his closest competitor in the Skills USA finals by more than 45 minutes, utilizing his passion for the industry and quest for advanced knowledge to the fullest.
Prante’s interest in manufacturing developed out of his love for making parts and installing them on his pickup truck, a custom 1996 Chevrolet S10. As a high school junior, he chose to enroll at a Career & Technical Education Program through the Medina (Ohio) County Career Center. There, Prante enjoyed the benefits of hands-on training and online learning, the latter via the Tooling U-SME integrated learning tool. A sponsor of SkillsUSA, Tooling U-SME is currently utilized by nearly 500 schools and more than 1,400 companies, training more than 225,000 professionals and students nationwide.
“I met Adam and was so impressed by his abilities, confidence and eloquence. He won the CNC Lathe competition by an incredible margin,” said Toni Neary, Educational Specialist, Tooling U-SME. “You can tell he’s very focused and thoughtful about his interest in manufacturing.”
A Career Path To Success
According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 75 percent of students who enter high school graduate. Of those students, only 60 percent go on to a traditional four-year college.
For many students, career and technical education is a more immediate path to a well-paying career. According to “The Hidden STEM Economy,” a recent study from the Brookings Institute, half of all jobs involving science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) are available to workers without a four-year college degree, with an average annual wage of $53,000.
“I’m really excited to become a journeyman machinist. Tooling U-SME has guided me along the way with vital video and online informational tools aimed at helping me understand processes that we use on the job,” said Prante. “I love the work and am glad to think that when I’ve completed my apprenticeship program I’ll have a job based on my education, will be making a good salary and won’t be facing huge college debt.”
Prante, who recently graduated from high school, is currently participating in the second of a three-year National Tooling & Machine Association (NTMA) apprenticeship program at Sattler Machine Products, Sharon Center, Ohio.
Prante hopes to build on his machining skills and participate in the 2015 WorldSkills Competition to be held in Brazil.
ABOUT SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a national organization that reaches over 300,000 students and instructors on an annual basis. SkillsUSA helps students discover and grow their career passions. As a nationwide partnership of students, instructors and industry working together, SkillsUSA works to ensure America has a skilled workforce. It helps every student excel.
ABOUT TOOLING U-SME
Tooling U-SME delivers versatile learning and development solutions to the manufacturing community. More than 210,000 individuals and 5,000 companies and educational institutions use our online learning and assessment programs and other training options to address workforce needs. Tooling U-SME is a division of SME, a 501(c)3 organization that has been gathering, validating and sharing manufacturing knowledge for more than 80 years.
Justin Fisette, SME-Tooling U, http://www.toolingu.com, +1 9897100714, [email protected]
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