Cherokee HS Student Ranked Nationally for Career Skills Cherokee High School rising senior Austin Ledbetter competed at the SkillsUSA National contest this summer in Louisville, Kentucky, and now is ranked No. 5 in the nation in collision repair technology. Students who earned gold at their state SkillsUSA competition were invited to the national event to test their hands-on career skills.Austin, who is a student of Cherokee HS automotive teacher Mike Hagan, prepared for the competition throughout the spring with training support from various local shops and Matt Beard of the Metro Atlanta Automobile Association. Contestants must demonstrate their ability to perform tasks set by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and the ASE Education Foundation including metal straightening, attachment methods, plastic repair, and structural analysis. They are judged on overall appearance of the finished product, speed, and proper safety practices. Students also complete written tests on estimating, structural analysis, and ASE knowledge, as well as fill out a job application, present a resume, and participate in mock interviews.After graduation, Austin plans to attend Universal Technical Institute, for which he already has earned scholarships, and then pursue a career in the collision repair industry.
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