LAYTON, Utah — It's not March Madness, but Weber State University is holding an exciting high school competition to help youth build their mechanical skills.
It's the automotive repair championships, featuring teams from a dozen local high schools.
Weber State has a state-of-the-art auto repair facility for these teen teams.
“They’re competing for scholarships, tools, they’ve been sponsored by local dealerships, they’ve spent two months in a dealership job shadowing, in preparation for this contest," said Jessica Slater of the Department of Automotive Technology at Weber State.
"So the idea is we’re going to get them a job through this."
This includes jobs that are attracting more young women.
“I asked my dad if this would be something cool to work in and he said yeah, go for it," said Roosevelt High School student Marianna Applegate.
“It is male-dominated but it is something I take great pride in."
"It’s so exciting, we are really encouraging more women to join our industry, we visit with them when we go out to the high schools, there is absolutely a place for women in this industry,” added Slater.
George Arrants with the ASE Education Foundation travels the country overseeing similar competitions, and said the one at Weber State is absolutely "top-notch."
“It’s huge because we have all this local talent in the local schools," he reflected. "Very rarely do the employers get to see that talent while they’re in school.”
