Each year the NHMA supports the NH SKILLsUSA Precision Machining Competition that is held at New Hampshire Community College in Nashua, NH. We form a Technical Committee that develops the contest, solicits contributions from local industry and administers the test. The NHMA, along with the support of many volunteers from our local manufacturing and service industries, provide a competition designed to challenge the top performers from each participating school and identify the highest skilled high school machinist in our state. The winner of this state competition will have a chance to participate in the national competition against the top students from across the nation. Our involvement with the NH SkillsUSA Precision Machining competition helps to encourage high school students to consider precision machining as a career.

As we prepare for this years NH SKILLsUSA Competitions, we would like to take time out to thank Dan Duncanson for all the years of service and dedication he has put into the Annual Precision Machining Competition. Dan announced that he will not able to chair the annual competition and Mark Dodge, from New Hampshire Community Technical College has offered to be the new chair to the competition. Mark and his technical committee have been busy preparing for this years competition over the past several weeks.

Aside from the Precision Machining competition taking place on March 23, there will be Automated Manufacturing, and Robotics & Automation Technology and Electonics Competitions at intelitek in Manchester, NH. Across the entire state on the 23rd and 24th of March there will be an additional 33 other competitions such as Automotive, Culinary, and Leadership programming. SKILLsUSA is the largest student Career and Technical Organization, (CTO’s) in the state. There are several different venues used for the competitions because there is no one place large enough to house all of the competitions with the appropriate equipment.

Students from Milford High School and Applied Technology Center, Mountain Washington Valley Career Tech Center, Nashua Technology Center, Sugar River Valley Regional High School– Claremont and The Creteau Regional Technology Center participate each year in the Precision Machining Competition. In all there are about 20 students who compete in the Precision Machining Competition, and another 33 students who compete in the competitions at intelitek the same day. Those students who place first will continue on to the National Competition in which is held in June in Kansas City, MO.

As Technical Committees are formulating their competitions, we are kicking off our donation drive. We are looking to secure funding and prizes. If you are interested in making a donation or if you have questions about making a donation please contact Sally Nolan at (603)880.0115 or by email to:sallyn@nhmachine.org

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