O
n Tuesday, March 28, 2023, the Culpeper Technical Education Center (CTEC) hosted its first “Skill Showcase.” This event gave CTEC students an opportunity to demonstrate their technical and professional skills or “Show what they know” to potential employers. More than twenty local businesses came out to see the CTEC students in action.
The day was split into two sessions. In the morning session, employers had an opportunity to see Emergency Medical Technician and Nursing students in action. The afternoon session included the Cosmetology, Electrical, HVAC, Carpentry, Automotive, and EMT programs. Visiting employers had an opportunity to speak to CTEC instructors and students while the students demonstrated their technical skills. Student resumés were available for employers.
CTEC Principal Shaun Summerscales explained, “the Skill Showcase is focused on forming connections between local employers and our CTEC programs, while also laying the foundation for employment.”
Doug Robson, Culpeper County Public Schools Director of Facility Services said that attending the skill showcase gave him hope for the future. “I was impressed with the electrical students and their work ethic. They were busy the entire time wiring their stations. You could see the quality of the instruction they had received. They were focused and they had a clear work ethic.”
Joey
King, from Lifecare Medical Transports, participated in the Skill Showcase in
the EMT
classes. After observing the students in action, he said, “This program is doing a great job in producing strong candidates for EMTs,” he continued, “they are very well disciplined, everything they have learned to date is very impressive.” During the demonstration, he commended the students for their attention to safety, “What really stands out is all of the safety initiatives, you can see that safety has been a core of their training which is really impressive,” he said.
Cosmetology students showed off their skills by inviting their classmates to be a part of the showcase. CTEC students from other programs volunteered to allow the cosmetology students to cut their hair and do their nails. Overall, the students produced impressive work for the local businesses who attended, including Bombshell Beauty Lounge, Haircuttery, Shear Artistry Beauty & Esthetics Salon, Studio 356, and Ventura Hair Studio.
CTEC would like to thank all of the employers who attended the Showcase. In addition to those mentioned above, others who attended were Acti-Kare Responsive In Home Care, Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services, The Culpeper, UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center, UVA Physician's Group, Affordable Energy Concepts, Inc., All Install, Bingham and Taylor, Cedar Mountain Stone/Chemung Contracting, Clatterbaugh Construction, CroppMetcalfe Services, Dynalectric, F.H. Furr Plumbing, HVAC & Electrical, Jefferson Home Builders, Swift, Thompson Auto Repair LLC and VDOT.
