On the Road Again: Skills USA National Leadership & Skills Conference

Tooling U’s Cindy Bernosky and Amy Solis attended the Skills USA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Kansas City June 21-June 26th. Students that have won their regional contests advance to the state competitions and students that win at the state level advance to the National contests. The National Leadership & Skills Conference showcases contests in 91 different disciplines ranging from Advanced Manufacturing to Cosmetology. The students compete with a written test, hands-on skills, and then a leadership competition. Advanced manufacturing was well represented with competitions including CNC Milling, CNC Turning, Precision Machining, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation and Welding.

“There is sometimes a negative perception of career and technical education. If those people could have seen the talent, commitment and professionalism of these students, they would be blown away. These students are training for highly skilled occupations that are vital for the future of the American economy,” said Rich Stape of Mahoning Valley Career & Technology Center. Rich is not only active in the Skills USA program at a regional, state, and national level, but is also a longtime Tooling U customer.


We would like to send our congratulations to all of the students that competed at the national level, but especially to ToolingU.com student Chris Harkless from Miami Valley Career & Technology Center for his silver medal in the Precision Machining Technology competition.

Toni Neary
Government & Education

Wedding Bells!

Wedding bells rang on Friday, July 3rd as Cindy Bernosky of the Government and Education team married her handsome groom James May. On behalf of the entire ToolingU team, I would like to send out a big CONGRATULATIONS to Cindy & Jamie as they start their new life together. The bride was stunning in a beautiful beaded gown and the groom looked dashing in his tuxedo. The couple celebrated and danced into the night with friends and family from throughout the U.S. right here in beautiful Cleveland, Ohio.

Jeremy Sobeck, of the ToolingU Content team, was the best man for the festivities and did not disappoint with his sentimental, yet humorous toast. Stunning bride, handsome groom, and witty best man were not to be outdone by the four-tier chocolate on chocolate wedding cake covered with chocolate-covered strawberries. It was not only a fantastic site, but the cause for not one, but two pieces of cake for me. The newlyweds will be honeymooning in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

We would like to congratulate Mr. & Mrs. May and wish them a lifetime of happiness!

Toni Neary

Government & Education

Kick Down the Door!

Cindy Bernosky & Gretchen Schultz of the Government & Education Group here at Tooling U headed to Minnesota earlier this month to participate in the “Kick Down the Door: Building Bridges to Connection” conference organized by the MPMA (Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association).

The conference, held April 29th through May 1st, provided a forum to understand the needs & concerns of everyone involved in the manufacturing industry. Cindy said the meeting was really productive, stating that “the group just wants what is best for the industry overall. It was great to have secondary and post-secondary educators with industry in the same room.”

The overall goal of the conference was to find ways to improve technical education throughout the state of Minnesota. Some of those improvements include getting educators and industry on the same page, and understanding the needs of students, employers and instructors. The conference included break-out sessions to discuss these needs, and what should happen as the manufacturing industry moves into the future.

Rumor has it the casino night of the conference was also quite a good time. Reportedly, Cindy was the highest bidder for a bottle of wine, but we haven’t seen the bottle around the office, so we don’t know where it ended up.

Toni Neary

Government & Education Specialist

Photo Courtesy The Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association

Eleventh Annual High School Machining Contest

I recently got the chance to travel to Rochester, New York in early May for the Eleventh Annual High School Machining Contest. The competition, sponsored by Monroe’s Community College’s Applied Technologies Center, challenged nearly 30 students to complete a lathe project within three hours, and then complete a mill project within three hours. This competition showcased the skills of students at the BOCES throughout New York. The student that placed first won a semester’s tuition to MCC.

While the students were machining, the instructors got a chance to hold a round table meeting to discuss issues each facing their programs. Some of the common concerns that were voiced included increasing enrollment, engaging students in the classroom and trying to reach academic standards for their respective states. One of the solutions to these problems is using Tooling U to upgrade theory components of curriculum and to help reach academic standards. I was proud to introduce our product to the instructors who were not familiar with it.

If your school is currently facing issues meeting state academic standards or preparing for NIMS testing, make sure to talk to me. I can help you figure out how to make your program shine.

Toni Neary

Government & Education Specialist