Seven Austin High School students got a chance to practice and show their work skills at the 49th annual SkillsUSA Championships on April 1 to 3 in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Advisor Craig Knippel said SkillsUSA is an organization that hosts competitions for high school and college students to practice and compete against other students in industrial arts or career and technical education, such as woodworking, design, computer programming and screen printing.

“It’s a chance for high school and college students to compete against other students in the same area,” Knippel said.

Other skills may include speaking, math and leadership skills.

There are three levels of competitions for SkillsUSA, including regionals, state and world, which the U.S. puts together a team of kids and sends them to an Olympic-style event every two years, Knippel said.

“You never know how far they’ll go,” Knippel said.

Students who competed include Corey Todalen, Christine Nelson, Brett Brownrigg, Andrew Forbes, Blake Forbes, Leah Meineke and Jared Meineke.

Of those students, seniors Todalen and Meineke received two gold medals and are moving onto the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky during the last week of June. Todalen placed first in computer programming and Meineke placed first in screen printing.

To prepare for the event, it’s good to be enrolled in a class that you will compete in, such as graphics or woodworking, and practice it, Knippel said.

“They’re given a set of guidelines and they run with it,” Knippel said.

Students also have to take a written test and do a job interview, in addition to the skills part where it’s how fast they can design or print or make a cabinet with a drawer, door and top, he added.

Knippel said a lot of the sponsors are future employers that support the contest and they also give prize money.

“They’re looking for people that go beyond classes and put extra effort into it,” Knippel said. “It makes them a better employee for the employer. They practice more in skills in leadership.”

Knippel coached the graphics team from Austin. Though two gold medals were earned, Knippel said they were hoping for other medals.

“We practiced hard on the other competitions too,” Knippel said. “They have to be able to swallow a failure and get better at it.”

Knippel said practicing the skills allows students to use their free time to keep them interested in school and add more to their resume when applying to college or for jobs.

“If you’re tired of class, this is a chance to get active and stay interested in school,” Knippel said.