LCSC students dominate at state SkillsUSA competition

BOISE, Idaho – Professional Technical Program students from Lewis-Clark State College dominated the field in the SkillsUSA competition over the weekend, capturing 10 of 15 medals in five events.

The Idaho SkillsUSA competition involved professional technical students from institutions throughout Idaho. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. Each student competed in their technical occupations.

The winners in each division qualified for national competition, which will be held in June.

LCSC students competed in five areas – two in Information Systems Analysis, and one each in Collision Repair, Diesel Technology, and Heating, Venting, Air Conditioning-R Technology.

The Information Systems Analysis Club sent four competitors to Boise and came away with two first-place finishes, a second, and a third. Kellen Christensen of Boise won a gold medal in Internetworking, while Abe Valadez of Nampa won a gold in Computer Maintenance Technology. Christensen missed a perfect score by two points. The two both qualified for the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, Mo. This is the first year the LCSC Information Systems Analysis Club has qualified students for nationals.

Also, Daniel Allen took a silver and Janette Montauge a bronze for LCSC in Internetworking.

In Collision Repair, Bud Whitcomb of Kamiah, a second-year PT student, won the gold medal. For capturing first place, Whitcomb also received a tool box and tools, a paint gun, $500 travel money to use for the national competition, and four I-CAR coupons for industry training, which is valued at $500.

LCSC swept the competition in the HVAC-R Technology event. Jesse Province of Moscow took top honors, followed by Jarrad Porter of Lewiston in second and Ryan Jones of Clarkston in third.

The HVAC competition featured eight skill areas, including a written test with questions pertaining to HVAC skills and certification levels; a brazing area where contestants made a project using soldered and brazed connections; tests for electrical failure and diagnostics for, heat pumps, air conditioners and gas furnaces, and an air system analysis to test air flow and temperatures.

Prizes for the HVAC competition included work clothing, test meters, and other tools.

In Diesel Technology, Clark Tacke of Cottonwood took the silver medal, while Kevin Teats of Kooskia won the bronze. Both are freshmen at LCSC. The two competed in 10 stations that challenged both knowledge and hand-on tasks.

The four winners from LCSC – Province, Christensen, Valadez, and Whitcomb – will attend the national competition and will represent both the college and the state. The SkillsUSA Championships is the showcase for the best career and technical students in the nation. This is a multi-million dollar event that occupies a space equivalent to 12 football fields. In 2006, there were over 4,800 contestants in 84 separate events.

The philosophy of the Championships is to reward students for excellence, to involve industry in directly evaluating student performance and to keep training relevant to employers' needs.

To help the four LCSC students obtain the finances necessary to attend nationals, donations are being accepted. Please contact Professional Technical Programs at LCSC at 792-2225 to donate.

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LCSC’s Information Systems Analysis program shouldn’t be a secret

One of the best-kept secrets on the Lewis-Clark State College campus is the Information Systems Analysis program offered through the School of Technology. This program prepares students for a wide-range of employment opportunities in the computer networking and hardware support fields.

Despite nearly 100 percent placement of graduates from this program with starting salaries between $30,000-$40,000 locally and $40,000-$50,000 in larger metropolitan areas, the program is relatively unknown throughout the region. Program graduates are experiencing phenomenal success. Some recent graduates have started at salaries more than $70,000 per year with a potential for earning six-figure incomes within five years of graduation.

"Most of the students enrolled heard about us by word of mouth," LCSC Professor Michael Bradley says. "It appears we get about 95 percent of our students that way."

Students can earn a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree and/or a four-year Bachelor's degree in Applied Science or Applied Technology.

A number of highly desirable industry standard certifications, including Cisco, Microsoft, CompTIA, Linux, and Novell are offered as required elements of the program. It is notable that this program is one of a select few available in the Northwest through in-class and online offerings.

Professor Bradley noted that "Our students receive hands-on experience in labs which are equipped with high-end computer and networking equipment. The educational setting is based upon a philosophy of mentorship. Students are given tools to reach solutions."

Most of what is taught in the program is cutting-edge technology, which is constantly changing.

The program covers a variety of areas, including analysis of system hardware and software, embedded systems, business application software, networking fundamentals, network operating systems, network security, and troubleshooting techniques. Also supported is Cisco security systems and wireless networks.

"We cover not only computer hardware and software but also all the components that glue the Internet together," Bradley says.

Even though there was a downturn in the job availability due to outsourcing of many computer related positions, the demand for technically qualified systems analysts has experienced resurgence during the past year.

"When a system goes down, people don't care why, especially when it is costing them money," Bradley says. "They just want the problem fixed. They care about getting it fixed as quickly as possible. They care about quality work and success."

Bradley says he's had students range in age from 18 to their 50s.

"The student population represents all backgrounds and ages," Bradley says. "We've had students from a diverse mixture of occupations. Success in the program has not proven to be dependant upon background experience or age, but on desire and interest.

"People just don't know that we are here," Bradley says. "We're trying to educate them that not only are we here, but we offer a valuable program for them to consider. A lot of great things are happening within this program. If you like discovering ways of doing things better, faster, and smarter, this program may be for you."

For more information on the Information Systems Analysis program at LCSC, contact Bradley at mbradley@lcsc.edu or call (208) 792-2421.


Bert Sahlberg
College Communications Coordinator
Lewis-Clark State College
(208) 792-2200

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