NCCER to sponsor the 2015 SkillsUSA Carpentry and Masonry Competitions Words: Jennifer WilkersonFor the sixth consecutive year, NCCER is sponsoring the SkillsUSA Carpentry Competition at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference held June 22-26 in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition, NCCER is sponsoring the SkillsUSA Masonry Competition for the third consecutive year. More than 15,000 people, including students, teachers and business partners are expected to participate in the week-long event. The competitions are part of the national-level SkillsUSA Championships for public high school and college students enrolled in career and technical education programs. All SkillsUSA Championship contestants are state-level gold medalists. Planned by technical committees made up of industry representatives, the competitions test the skills needed for successful entry‑level performance in various career fields. Safety practices and procedures are also judged as a component of each contestant’s overall score. As the sponsor of the carpentry and masonry competitions, NCCER creates the competition guidelines, gathers contributions for contest supplies and brings together industry members to serve as judges and technical committee members. This year’s platinum sponsors for the carpentry competition are The Haskell Company, Associated Builders and Contractors, Build Your Future, Fluor, National Association of Women in Construction Education Foundation and TIC — The Industrial Company. NCCER would like to thank carpentry committee chair Boyd Worsham of The Haskell Company and masonry committee chair Bryan Light of The Brick Industry for leading the way in organizing this year’s events. Through events like these, NCCER and its Build Your Future initiative provide valuable opportunities for construction industry employers to connect with future craft professionals.