On Monday, 17 teams from 11 different school districts converged on Frenship High School Ag Shop for a Tractor Technician Invitation Contest. This event is one of the only contests before the qualifying events start.
This contest was made possible because of the amazing community partners the Frenship FFA has. Kent Jackson and South Plains Implement provided the tractors, judges, and contest materials. They were able to provide us with four John Deere 5 series tractors for students to diagnose preset malfunctions.
Additionally, John Dawley of Navarro College in Corsicana provided the components portion of the contest. This is a painstaking process to gather and set up for students. Students must use critical thinking skills and some mechanical skills to answer questions related to any part of the tractor. It could include using multimeters to find electrical issues in parts. Students may need to use micrometers to determine size and specs for tractor parts. Sometimes they must identify the use of different oils, and fluids used in tractor repair.
Throughout the day, the students were able to speak with these community partners. They were able to hear about real world experiences and the challenges and opportunities available to them. It helps them to make educated decisions on the possible future career paths.
At the end of their contest time, the judges were able to teach students about the malfunctions and how to properly diagnose and repair those "bugs". The more of these situations' students see, the more successful they will be at future contests.
Angela VanGundy, one of the Frenship Agricultural Science Teachers, stated that partnerships with the community are an important part of CTE education.
“Community partners are an extension of the school district,” said VanGundy. “They help us help students to make connections to careers and post-secondary education opportunities in a way that is more dynamic than what we can do in the classroom.”
Without the partnership, practice contests such as the one hosted by Frenship, would not be possible.
“I could never explain, with complete accuracy, the opportunity these students have in this industry without their expertise,” said VanGundy. “The former students we have currently in this industry are there because of contests like these that have been facilitated by community partners across the state making these opportunities available for students.”
The Frenship students will compete on January 24 at West Texas A&M for their chance to advance to the state contest that will be held in conjunction with the Houston Livestock Show in March.