[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATIONS TO THE STUDENTS OF NORTHERN CAMBRIA MIDDLE SCHOOL--
                        SKILLSUSA GOLD MEDALISTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
recognition of the impressive career and technical education students 
in Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District.
  Career and technical education helps learners of all ages gain 
valuable skills that have the potential to lead to good-paying jobs and 
rewarding careers. It all starts with our Nation's most valuable 
resource: our people. Hardworking men and women and the dedicated 
students who have chosen to pursue a technical career are the backbone 
of our economy.
  As co-chair of the bipartisan House Career and Technical Education 
Caucus, I couldn't be happier to congratulate Jakob Dixon of Indiana 
County, Pennsylvania, on recently winning a gold medal for his work 
with sheet metal at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills 
Conference. The 56th annual event took place in Louisville, Kentucky, 
and hosted upwards of 6,500 students to compete in more than 100 
different skills-based competitions. Jakob will be a senior this fall 
in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning program at the 
Indiana Career Technology Center.
  Additionally, in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Northern Cambria 
Middle School celebrated its back-to-back national championships in the 
41st annual Technology Student Association national conference in 
Washington, D.C., just earlier this month.
  More than 8,500 students from across the country competed in 70 
different events, including woodworking, programming robots, debate, 
and more. Every student from Northern Cambria Middle School who 
competed in the contest achieved national recognition as a top 10 
finalist.
  Mikey Konitsky, Chris Yahner, Peyton Myers, and Braden Moriconi 
became national champions in the mechanical engineering competition, a 
category they have also won in the Commonwealth State of Pennsylvania.
  Additionally, Chris Yahner and his classmate Caleb Born placed third 
in the Nation in structural design and engineering, and Garret Link 
placed ninth in the Nation for flight endurance.
  I am proud of Jakob Dixon and the students of Northern Cambria Middle 
School and the many students like them across the Commonwealth and the 
country who have chosen to pursue a skills-based career in such a 
competitive workforce.
  Students like these are in high demand. More than 80 percent of 
manufacturers claim talent shortages prevent them from keeping up with 
customer demand, and 46 percent of employers say they have difficulty 
finding talent, particularly in the skilled trades.
  Career and technical education prepare students to be career ready by 
providing core academic skills, employability skills, and technical 
job-specific skills through hands-on learning opportunities.
  We need more students like Jakob, Mikey, Chris, Peyton, Braden, John, 
Caleb, and Garret. The value they will add to the American workforce 
one day cannot be overstated.

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