On April 16, 2025, Students from across the state of Tennessee gathered at the Chattanooga Convention Center to showcase their leadership and technical skills in an annual contest known as the SkillsUSA Championships. The competitions are created and judged by industry leaders who ensure that students are learning the real-world skills that employers demand from entry-level professionals. There are three main categories of the competition: Leadership, Occupationally Related, and Skilled and Technical, with 110+ sub-categories including welding, occupational health and safety, esthetics, crime scene investigation, computer programming, barbering, and automotive technology.
Winners of the SkillsUSA championship receive a gold medal in their respective category and advance to the National Championship where they will compete against students from across the country. Orlando Pendergrass, Jr., a student in Chattanooga State’s Automotive Technology Program, competed in the Mobile Electronics Installation category of the SkillsUSA Championship, in which he won the gold medal. In this competition, Orlando successfully completed a written examination covering the basic Mobile Electronics Certified Professional certification, as well as a professional interview. Additionally, Orlando demonstrated his skills in the hands-on application portion that included taking electrical measurements, installing consumer electronics equipment in a mobile environment, soldiering, working with relay circuits, and troubleshooting electronic circuitry. Orlando will be representing Chattanooga State Technical Community College at the SkillsUSA National Championship held this June in Atlanta, GA. Proud parents are Michiba L. Smith and Orlando Pendergrass, Sr.