Robots came alive at Fresno City College Thursday morning. It was all part of an event for Valley high school students called Career Skills Challenge, using vocational skills in a fun and competitive way.
Edison High School student Joshua Alvarado said, "This competition is really fun and we've gained a lot of experience with physics and with our designing, hopefully we can do better and better."
Alvarado is a freshman at Edison and is in the Mindcraft Club, where they build robots. Students were involved in every aspect of designing and creating the robot.
Career Skills Challenge Coordinator Anthony Ayerza said, "It teaches them real world application. It's geared more toward what industry specifications and requirements are. It allows those students to become career ready."
About 1,000 students from schools in Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa counties attended the event. The career skills featured a variety of subjects from flower design to construction.
Over at the welding competition, students from throughout the area put their skills to the test. Instructors say the challenge allowed students to take their education and skills to the next level and gave some a reality check.
Fresno City College Welding Instructor Brett Camacho said, "You have to perform outside of your comfort zone and some students rise to the challenge and some students struggle a little bit. It helps them to realize it's not as easy."
Instructors say it's important to encourage young people to pursue education and vocational fields. A combination, that can help them succeed in the future.
