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RCBI-Bridgeport hosts SkillsUSA event

West Virginia student machinists will compete Saturday, April 11, in the CNC Technician portion of the state SkillsUSA Championships at the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing (RCBI) in Bridgeport.

Experienced machinists from RCBI will provide contestants with drawings of a machinable metal part. Students will then demonstrate their proficiency in programming Haas CNC (computer-numeric-control) lathes and mills to manufacture the item. The competition also will gauge student knowledge of basic machining skills such as precision measurement, manual machining and blueprint reading. Vocational students from all 55 West Virginia counties will participate in a daylong series of contests during the annual skills competition. State winners will be announced during Saturday ceremonies at Camp Dawson, Pendleton County, and will advance to the national SkillsUSA Championships June 24-25 in Louisville, Ky. SkillsUSA is nationwide collaboration of students, educators and industry representatives joining to ensure a skilled American workforce. SkillsUSA serves high school and college educators and students preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations. RCBI has participated in SkillsUSA for more than a decade and its staff members volunteer their services to state winners to help them better prepare for the national competition.