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<p>PLAINS TWP. &#8212; The guys from Carbon County Career and Technical Center were not only in <em>their</em> first such competition, it was &#8212; they had been told &#8212; the first time in years the <em>school</em> had participated in the SkillsUSA district contest.</p><p>Still, they felt they had as good a chance as any of the other schools entering the &#8220;team build,&#8221; one of three events held Wednesday at Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center.</p><p>&#8220;It comes down to what you know,&#8221; Dylan Everett, who would handle carpentry during the contest, said as they waited for other teams to arrive</p><p>&#8220;And how you use it,&#8221; Todd Daldos, the mason of the team, added, as if finishing the sentence.</p><p>SkillsUSA is, to many career and technical students, akin to a big sports match, Wilkes-Barre Area CTC teacher Bob Bertoni said. It&#8217;s a chance to pit the skills students have learned against students from other schools, and winning at the district level garners a crack at a state title.</p><p>Wednesday was the second of three rounds of competition for the district teams, which include Lackawanna, Carbon, Susquehanna, Wyoming and Luzerne counties. The competitive options are numerous enough &#8212; there are more than 50 events, Bertoni said &#8212; for the competition to be held on three separate days in separate locations.</p><p>On Wednesday Wilkes-Barre Area CTC hosted three events: masonry, graphic design and the multi-discipline team build, in which members of each team work together to complete a four-part project, one student specializing in each part: Stud a wall corner, hang a sink on it, wire a light above it and build a separate brick wall.</p><p>Asked how well they had prepared, the Carbon County crew conceded they had little time to practice, but noted there is an element of surprise anyway: You don&#8217;t know the specs for the project until the competition starts.</p><p>Judging covers a wide range of criteria: Completing the project in allotted time (about 3 hours), accuracy in meeting specifications, team presentation, clean up and tool return among them.</p><p>Bertoni said students at his school, which serves five area school districts, have done well , with 10 of them qualifying for the state championship round.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Freedman Ramirez of Hazleton Area High School applies mortar to a brick while he does masonry work during a SkillsUSA competition at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center on Wednesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_skillsusa01-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Freedman Ramirez of Hazleton Area High School applies mortar to a brick while he does masonry work during a SkillsUSA competition at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center on Wednesday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_skillsusa02-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">David Schwartz of Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center uses a circular saw to cut a board as classmate David Hunter steadies the board during a SkillsUSA competition at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center on Wednesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_skillsusa02-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>David Schwartz of Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center uses a circular saw to cut a board as classmate David Hunter steadies the board during a SkillsUSA competition at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center on Wednesday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_skillsusa03-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Students from several area school districts compete in a SkillsUSA competition at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center on Wednesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_skillsusa03-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Students from several area school districts compete in a SkillsUSA competition at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career &amp; Technical Center on Wednesday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

CTC students vie in regional skills competition