Just ahead of the SkillsUSA Georgia State Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia Northwestern Technical College hosted two state events, Telecom and Internet of Things, at its Floyd County Campus on Wednesday, March 11.

Three Electrical Systems Technology students, Corey Johnston, Daniel Carrillo and Emanuel Reyes, put their knowledge and skills to work as they completed the different stages of the competition. The trio worked independently to participate in interviews, took an online test and began manually wiring their projects.

In the Internet of Things division, Johnston re-wired home appliances with smart devices which when used with an internet connection can be controlled from a smartphone. These devices range from doorbell cameras to thermostats said Scottie Carter, program director and instructor of Electrical Control Systems Technology.

On the other side of the room, Carrillo and Reyes worked to make sure their telecommunications cabling was transmitting the correct signals to their testing equipment. According to Carter, the students use the same skills they would use during a normal day at work.

“These competitions are about demonstration and tool usage,” he said. “The students’ final score will also factor in the test and interview portion.”

Medals will be awarded at the Westin Hotel at The Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta on Saturday following two days of competition at the Georgia World Congress Center.  Gold medalists will get the chance to compete in the national SkillsUSA competition in Louisville, Kentucky in June.