A team of Southwestern Illinois College students who captured gold medals at the national SkillsUSA competition earlier this year also won a Department of Defense Advanced Manufacturing contest in Danville, Virginia recently. From left, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program Director A. Adele Ratliff, SWIC student Gavin Becherer of Troy, Precision Machining Technology Instructor Dave Berry, students Connor Braasch of Troy and Connor Barnard of Godfrey, and PMT Instructor Jerry Bonifield show off the $2,500 prize money they won. 

The competition, known as the Next Generation Manufacturing Challenge Series, was developed by Project MFG, the Department of Defense, HAAS CNC and NIMS. Project MFG, promotes the value of a career in the manufacturing trades and accelerates new employees into the workforce. It elevates the prestige of these careers. Also, it aligns industry and defense requirements, educational programs, and commercial capabilities and capacities through private-public partnerships. The two-day competition consisted of 5 Axis machining, programming, and scheduling and resource management.

For more information about the SWIC Precision Machining Technology program visit swic.edu/pmt.