Kyle Friedel’s bronze medal at the 49th annual National SkillsUSA Conference in Kansas City this summer earned his Southeast Community College program of study a new learning tool.
Friedel, an Atkinson native who works at Dillon Bros. Harley-Davidson in Omaha, won the bronze in the Motorcycle Service Technology category. He is a graduate of SCC’s Motorcycle, ATV & Personal Watercraft Technology program. As an official sponsor of the National Leadership and Skills Competition, Harley-Davidson Motor Company donates a motorcycle to the representative schools of the top three places.
Cheri Judkins, Learning Operations Manager for Harley-Davidson University in Milwaukee, said the company writes the contest questions and judges the competition in the Motorcycle Service Technology category.
“At Harley-Davidson University, the technical training team writes and judges the competition,” she said. “They put together all the stations. They write the tests. They are very passionate about what they do.”
Contestants performed tasks representative of those encountered in a dealership’s service department. Technical skills included performing scheduled maintenance tasks; use of service, electrical diagnostic and parts manuals; electrical diagnostics; precision measurement; brake service; chassis/suspension service; fuel delivery system inspection and repair; transmission and drive systems; power train systems; on Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Judges looked for clean and organized work habits; correct use of reference materials; the ability to follow directions; and good technical skills.
Judkins said Harley-Davidson has a vested interest in shaping the future of technicians.
“We look at this as an opportunity to influence what is taught in the high schools and technical colleges,” she said. “In the future, for skilled workers to work in our dealerships, we want to make sure they have skills they can apply on their job.”
Judkins said the motorcycle that was presented to SCC, a 2008 XL883C black custom Harley-Davidson Sportster, is a training aid and is not meant to run on the street. Service manuals were included.
“Included with the bike are all of the tools that go along with it so that students can learn our product,” Judkins said. “We hope they will want to work in an authorized Harley-Davidson dealership.”
Judkins said that around 10 percent of all students who have competed in the Motorcycle Service Technology category since 2003 are currently working in Harley-Davidson’s dealership network.
“We have between 40 and 50 students competing in the motorcycle category each year, the majority of them high school students,” she said. “Competition takes place one day, then there is more competition and training the next day. The students learn, and instructors learn how they need to teach things at the school.”
Persons interested in more information about SCC’s Motorcycle, ATV & Personal Watercraft Technology program are asked to contact Ken Jefferson at 402-437-2640 or [email protected].