Local students put their technical education on display in front of employers, school representatives and judges at the SkillsUSA District 11 Championships held at the Allentown Fairgrounds Agri-Plex Jan. 30.

Students from five area technical schools competed in 51 hands-on skill and leadership competitions displaying their mastery of trades ranging from commercial baking to diesel equipment technology.

SkillsUSA Council is a nonprofit organization striving is to create a world-class workforce by developing partnerships among the business community and local career and technical schools.

"This is really the largest district partnership in the United States," Chairman of the SkillsUSA Council Board of Directors Bryan Gault said. "[Our success] is really because of our sponsors and connections with great districts."

The events at SkillsUSA were sponsored by local businesses which in many cases supplied the materials necessary for students to practice their desired trade in a competitive environment.

The business owners benefit from their donations by gaining connections with a highly-qualified young workforce and potential future employees.

Mark Miller, co-owner of Miller, Miller and McLachlan Construction Inc., said, as a small business owner, he feels events like this one really help connect his business with a continual supply of educated employees.

"We are able to accomplish things working with [SkillsUSA and Associated Builders and Contractors] we could not do on our own," Miller said. "They help us develop the workforce we need."

Miller praised the advancements of technical schools like the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute and the Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School.

Many of the 400 students participating in the SkillsUSA District 11 Championships will graduate high school with the foundation needed to pursue a career in the trade they selected to study at their technical school.

Alexandra Abruzzi, an LCTI student at the event who has been involved with SkillsUSA through her high school career, said the education technical school students receive gives them the confidence and preparedness to become leaders in all of their future endeavors.

"They walked in as the best student from their technical center and many will walk away as the best student in their district," SkillsUSA Executive Director of the SkillsUSA Council Jennifer Smith said.

At 6:30 p.m., after all of the events were finished, students and their families went to Parkland High School to hear the results of the day's competitions and to see the winners receive their medals.

District gold medal winners advanced to state and national competitions and they will compete to receive some of the $64,100 in scholarships available to overall finalists of the competition involving more than 6,000 students.