DCTC takes home 13 gold medals at 50th Annual Minnesota SkillsUSA Competitions

Dakota County Technical College students turned in outstanding performances in the skills contests during the 50th Annual Minnesota SkillsUSA Championships Conference March 31 – April 2, 2017, winning a total of 24 medals, including 13 gold, four silver and seven bronze. Four gold medals were awarded in a four-person team contest, Health Knowledge Bowl.

Ron Gruenes

Ron Gruenes, Electrical Construction and Maintenance Technology (ECMT) faculty, was named Minnesota SkillsUSA Post-Secondary Advisor of the Year. The award recognizes and honors dedicated college-level career and technical education instructors who serve as SkillsUSA advisors. State winners are submitted to the regional competition. Regional winners are interviewed at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) and a national winner is selected.

DCTC hosted eight skills contests Saturday, April 1, on the college’s main campus in Rosemount, Minnesota. The college also hosted an Automotive Career Fair and Techspo the next day. Mitchell Kochenash, an ECMT student and gold medalist in the Job Demonstration A contest, led the opening ceremony as the SkillsUSA Minnesota post-secondary president.

Gold medalists in state skills contests advance to the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) June 19–23, 2017, in Louisville, Kentucky.