Bierschbach and Wiechmann are both graduates of Alexandria Technical College, State and National SkillsUSA Gold Medal Winners in Mechatronics. FESTO Corp. and the Minnesota Association of SkillsUSA are Contest supporters for the team.

SkillsUSA Minnesota, in partnership with business and industry, provides opportunities for members to develop individually and improve teamwork, leadership and professional skills through education, training, service, and competition. SkillsUSA Minnesota is a state association of SkillsUSA, a national organization serving more than 307,000 high school and college students and professional members who are enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations.

SkillsUSA prepares America’s high performance workers. It provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development. It builds and reinforces self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. It emphasizes total quality at work, high ethical standards, superior work skills, life-long education and pride in the dignity of work. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free enterprise system and involvement in community service activities.

SkillsUSA is a member of WorldSkills International http://www.worldskills.org The International Vocational Training Organization headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. This organization sponsors the biennial WorldSkills Competition (WSC).

2009 USA World SkillsUSA Team



WorldSkills Calgary 2009

Over its 50-year history, the WorldSkills Competition has come to symbolize the pinnacle of excellence in skilled trades and technologies training.

Every two years, hundreds of young competitors from all over the world gather to compete in this international event. The Competition sets world class standards in over 40 skill categories ranging from welding to cooking, auto body repair to landscape gardening, plumbing to web design.

The Competition also draws thousands of visitors including policy makers, government representatives, employers, teachers, trainers, and experts from around the world.

The Competitions will be held September 2-5, 2009 at Calgary Stampede Park. For more information about the event, please visit www.worldskills2009.com or contact the SkillsUSA Minnesota State Director, Ms. Jennifer Polz at 763-560-1932 or by email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.