COLUMBIANA- Shelby County College and Career Center cosmetology teacher Pam Cofer’s class recently held a contest to determine which students would represent the school at the Skills USA district cosmetology competition on Friday, Feb. 17.

For the contest, students made models and a scrapbook of their cosmetology-related ideas. Cofer said the entries were judged by several teachers and members of the Alabama Board of Cosmetology.

“There’s an official Skills USA competition at the state level, but not at the local level. We had to make our own local competition,” Cofer said. “We can only take one team out of this whole class, but all of these kids worked really hard this year. We’re choosing the best of our best.”

Students Makayla Gallavan, Faith Fuller and Amari Wilkerson won the local contest with their project, entitled “Hair Around the World.” The project features different hairstyles that are frequently worn in different countries.

“The judges said the choice was hard. Their book being so good was what put it together,” Cofer said. “This one was just really cute.”

Cofer said Skills USA is a program that places an emphasis on high school students receiving a technical education.

“Skills USA, teachers and students come together to try to work with our workforce,” Cofer said. “We’re already shorthanded in the workforce. Within the next two years, we’re going to need two million people for hands-on jobs.”

Gallavan, Fuller and Wilkerson competed in the Skills USA cosmetology competition on Friday, Feb. 17 at Lawson State Community College.