SCC student takes home Gold Medal

Scott Community College student takes home gold medal at national skills competition

Brennan Kearney represented SCC and the state of Iowa this week at the National Leadership and Skills Competition in Louisville, Ky., placing first for his sheet metal skills.

Kearney is a student in SCC’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning program. Every year, the HVAC program participates in the Skills USA contests and Kearney qualified for the national competition in a district contest earlier this year. In the Sheet Metal category, contestants are tested on their ability to perform jobs such as connecting sheet metal pieces with drive cleats, spot welding and riveting. They are judged on the use of hand tools, correctness of layout, shop safety procedures, accuracy and craftsmanship.

Program instructors attribute Kearney’s passion for his trade, hard work, precision and determination for the win.

More than 6,000 career and technical students competed in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields during the event. Students work against the clock and each other to prove their expertise in occupations such as electronics, precision machining, medical assisting, culinary arts and more. The competition is run with the help of industry trade associations and labor organizations. Test competencies are set by the industry.

For more information on Eastern Iowa Community Colleges’ Career Training programs, visit eicc.edu/programs