Latest news with #AprilAutomotive
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Students compete in welding competition at Grasso Tech in Groton
GROTON, Conn. (WTNH) — High schools compete in all sorts of things, even, as it turns out, competitive welding. They competed to see who did it the best. Two dozen students from five different high schools went helmet to helmet at Ella Grasso Tech in Groton. The contest encourages a skill that is badly needed, especially in southeastern Connecticut. As the sparks flew, it was hard to believe the contestants were still in high school, because they seemed to have already mastered their craft of welding. 8 students compete in 'April Automotive' competition 'It's entertaining, I guess. It's really fun,' said Matthew Murray, a junior at Cheney Tech. 'It's a good field to get in. It's a good field to do for the rest of your life, I think.' Some have already been doing this for years. 'My grandpa had a welder at his house, and I'd go over and just talk to him and we'd hang out,' explained Cheney Tech student Jared Minick. 'One day, he called me out to the garage we were going to go weld something and I just really liked it.' Project MFG holds competitions like this all over the country to encourage students to get into industrial trades. Host Ella Grasso Tech is one of just a couple of technical high schools in Connecticut that offers a full-on welding program, and that is no accident. Groton is known for submarines, and good welders are needed to maintain those vessels. 'We send a great many students to E.B. as welders, as drafters, as just general tradesmen,' said Grasso Tech Dean of Students Jonathan Grossman. Electric Boat helped sponsor the competition. 'This administration, and the previous administration, were both serious about it,' said Electric Boat President Mark Rayha about the demand for submarines. 'It's moving to be even more serious. You're going to hear more about that soon, but we need more ships, and we need you to build them.' Whether it's making subs, cars or anything else, welding skills are very much in demand. 'There's always going to be work in welding, is what I've learned,' said Murray. The two top scorers from this state competition go on to compete at nationals in early June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
8 students compete in ‘April Automotive' competition
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Forget March Madness, it's time for 'April Automotive.' The best of the best went head-to-head over who can fix a head gasket. The top automotive students from the state technical high school system faced off in a competition at Gengras Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram in East Hartford. 'It's not just about fixing the cars, it's about having that blood inside of you that says, 'I need to be around cars,'' explained Tyler Moriarty, a senior at Howell Cheney Tech. 'I know what I know, so I'm going to put my best foot forward and try my best,' said Bullard Havens Tech senior Ricardo Fernandes. Enfield & Wilbur Cross high schools win Connecticut culinary competition The event is known as the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association Student Challenge. Eight students who have already scored the best on tests of their automotive skills are showing what they know, working on real cars. 'What we're basically trying to do is assess them based on the education that they received,' said Laurence Eiden, the coordinator of the challenge. That includes tire alignment and car inspections. There was even a math test because technicians need to know their numbers. It is not just an opportunity for the students to show off. This is an opportunity for the industry to actively recruit people, because right now they are hurting for mechanics. 'The industry changes, and sometimes the technicians do not,' Eiden said. 'So, the new information that these techs learn are wonderful.' As cars become more computerized, car technicians have to get more sophisticated. Today's students know the need for tomorrow's workers. 'Whether it's actually going out in the field and being a mechanic, or whether it's helping people with parts, it's pretty much everything, it's everywhere,' Moriarty said. Everyone who has a car knows the value of a good technician. 'It's the sense of feeling that I'm helping somebody out in the best way I can,' said Fernandes. That is especially needed in an industry that is constantly on the move. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
