Connectivity Point Design & Installation (CPDI) is proud to sponsor the SkillsUSA New Hampshire telecommunications cabling contest, to be held March 11, 2016, at Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth, N.H.
CPDI is the primary contributor of labor, materials, resources, and staff for the annual event, which is open to students interested in voice and data network cabling and installation. Contestants demonstrate skills in fiber and copper cable termination, pulling and mounting cable, patch panel installation and termination, installing jacks, cable testing and troubleshooting, safety and customer service.
Roy Chamberlain, CPDI’s regional manager for the NH/MA area, is the director of the SkillsUSA New Hampshire telecommunications cabling program. “The SkillsUSA New Hampshire contest gives students the chance to exercise their skills in a real-world situation. They’re held to the same standards as companies who do this kind of thing on a daily basis.” Chamberlain also notes the significance of partner donations, adding, “CPDI is not alone in this venture. Sue Tobin of Intelligent Network Solutions donates CommScope and Chatsworth products for the competition, and Jim Salvo of FAS & Associates loans us Fluke testers. They both contribute funds to help cover the state winner’s travel expenses for the national competition.”
Last year’s SkillsUSA New Hampshire winner, Patrick Keefe Jr. of Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH, won the gold medal at the SkillsUSA national competition and was recognized as the best in the nation for telecommunication by SkillsUSA. Patrick is now attending Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York, studying networking and communications.
SkillsUSA New Hampshire is a state association of SkillsUSA, and consists of 6 regions with over 32 local chapters with a membership of about 800. The SkillsUSA New Hampshire Contest includes competitions in over 40 categories, from advertising design to welding. Winners at the state level go on to the national competition.
SkillsUSA is a national organization whose mission is to prepare high school and college students for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations. SkillsUSA includes local, state and national competitions in which students demonstrate occupational and leadership skills, and vocational schools have an opportunity to showcase their programs.