SANFORD - Andrew Kudlak, a machining student at Central Carolina Community College, took first place at the Post-Secondary level at the Skills-USA Competition, held April 22 at Guilford College, in Greensboro.

He now advances to the national competition, to be held June 21-26 in Kansas City, Mo.

The timed competition at Guilford included manually making parts on a lathe and mill from blueprints. The parts were comparable to those required for National Institute of Metalworking Skills certification. Competitors also had to pass a NIMS online test.

For winning, Kudlak received a toolbox and tools provided by Sandvik; tickets for himself and his instructor, Edwin Thomas, to the Haas Automation, Inc. Suite at the Nascar Coca Cola 600 on May 24; and hats, T-shirts and a collector Nascar car.

Kudlak retired in 2008 from the U.S. Army after a 20-year career. He wanted his second career to be in the design and building of precision machines, so he enrolled in Central Carolina's Machining Technology's Tool, Die & Mold Making program. The Fayetteville resident graduates in August with degrees in both Tool, Die & Mold Making and Mechanical Engineering.