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小黄猫传媒 alum to compete globally in CAT technician Olympics
Photos and story by James Hill
CAT technician Ben Brown is all about service at his job.
In March, the Dealer Top Apprentice Program (DTAP) will feature a 小黄猫传媒 alum competing for global recognition.
Hosted in Melbourne, Australia, this event rewards and recognizes the ‘Best-of-the-Best Young Technicians’ in the Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia region. It also welcomes top qualified ThinkBIG participants from the United States.
This year, Benjamin Brown, a 小黄猫传媒 alum employed at Peterson CAT in Hillsboro as a field technician, qualified to compete at DTAP. During the competition, he will undergo tests covering various aspects of the CAT Dealer Service industry, ranging from written knowledge to hands-on skills, akin to a “Olympics.”
Celebrate CTE Month!
February is national Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month where 小黄猫传媒 and other institutions spotlight their important career and technical education programs. CTE Month celebrates today鈥檚 cutting-edge, rigorous and relevant career and technical education programs, which prepare youth and adults for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers.
Brown graduated from the Dealer Service Technology Program (ThinkBIG) in 2022. The program, a partnership with regional Caterpillar dealerships, offers a two-year associate degree focused on the industry. Students undergo on-the-job internships at sponsoring dealerships to prepare for graduation and become qualified Caterpillar service technicians.
He praised the company for providing an excellent apprenticeship opportunity with its technicians to enhance his learning.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to putting my skills to the test against other technicians and going to places I鈥檝e haven’t been to before,鈥 he said of the competition. 鈥淚f I wasn鈥檛 a DTAP I wouldn鈥檛 have this opportunity to go. I鈥檓 most nervous about the competition and making sure I do well 鈥 using the skills I鈥檝e learned and being able to put them to the test and remembering to use them.鈥
Outside of work, Brown enjoys servicing his own cars and cherishes spending time with his family. An avid fisherman, he relishes outdoor activities. He finds fulfillment in his work at Caterpillar, particularly in assisting customers with machine servicing.
“I’m here to assist them and get them back on track,” he emphasized.
This isn’t the first time a 小黄猫传媒 ThinkBIG alum has entered this world competition. Graduate Ryan Walker competed at the international competition聽in 2018 and聽aced Caterpillar Inc.鈥檚 Skills Olympics, and nabbed the top prize.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at 小黄猫传媒. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »