Let’s face it, the workforce can be extremely competitive for certain careers. When it comes down to it, these occupations look for those who have the finest skills for the position. In efforts to create a more efficient workforce and even more efficient workers, the SkillsUSA organization provides a program of technical and professional skills training to students who are preparing to enter the workforce.

This national organization hosts local and state competitions ranging from culinary arts and cosmetology to mechatronics and medical terminology. SkillsUSA serves over 300,000 students from middle school to college, all around the U.S.

At Rocklin High there are 20 students involved in SkillsUSA, including junior Sierra Gosting, who won first place in her job interview competition at the recent state competition in San Diego. Along with her was senior Matthew Olker, who brought home a third place medal in technical design.

Sierra’s friend persuaded her to join SkillsUSA sophomore year, and has since then competed in the Regional Drafting level twice and the State Drafting level twice. In her recent Job Interview State competition, she noted that is was a “tough competition because[she] had to beat a lot of people from Regionals and even more people from State to move on” and added that “It’s a weird situation because you’re basically talking about yourself and saying why you should be chosen over someone else.”

Now, Sierra plans on making a trip to the National competition in Louisville, Kentucky starting June 22 until the 26. At a National competition, anyone would be nervous, but Sierra does not take it extremely seriously and says “it’s fun, it’s kind of cool to have been able to make it this far.”

For senior Matthew Olker, winning the bronze medal in technical design was pleasantly surprising, and admits “I felt I actually did worse, I felt that I was going to get somewhere between second to last to last place.”

Olker, who wants to have a career in computer science, has been involved with SkillsUSA since his junior year. Mr. Frank suggested he join SkillsUSA after noticing how talented he was.

These two upperclassmen were the first students at Rocklin High to bring back a medal from state competition. Let’s hope that Sierra Gosting will be the first student to bring back a medal from her National Competition this summer.