Students to Demonstrate Technical Skills at Second Annual Avnet Tech Games
PHOENIX -- More than 100 college students will compete in the second annual Avnet Tech Games on March 2, 2007, demonstrating technical skills, innovative thinking and creative problem-solving in the hopes of earning scholarships to Arizona colleges.
For the second year in a row, Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT) has partnered with Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), the largest community college system in the United States with more than 280,000 students, to host the Avnet Tech Games. A multidisciplinary event composed of eight separate competitions, the Avnet Tech Games enable students to gain real-world experience in technology, decision making and group dynamics, helping to prepare them for today's competitive job market. The event also incorporates a technology showcase and career fair to help students connect with prospective employers.
'The Avnet Tech Games offer students an opportunity to show off their skills and earn recognition for their creativity and knowledge,'said Roy Vallee, Avnet, Inc., Chairman and CEO. 'At the same time, Avnet is helping to build a skilled workforce by highlighting the variety of career choices students can pursue in the technology industry.'
The Avnet Tech Games include competitions on everything from computer and website design to marketing skills. The winners will receive scholarships from the sponsors to help them further their technical education. The Avnet Tech Games consist of eight separate competitions:
AMD Build The Fastest Computer - Teams will compete to build the fastest computer from a pre-determined box of parts.
Microsoft Defense in Depth - Teams will secure a computer network so that it is usable and protects a business from virus attacks and other threats.
Design and Build a Digital Device - Student teams will have six hours to design and build a device to perform a specific function using digital technology.
Accenture Build an E-Business Website - Teams will build an e-business web site for a Phoenix company, IT Partners.
Invent a Technical Product - Teams will research and develop a new product.
Multimedia - Teams will create a 30-second promotional spot from raw film footage.
Robot Maze Navigation - Teams will build and program a robot to navigate through a maze and perform specific tasks. EMC Technology Trends - Teams will design and present a technology solution to a customer to solve a real-world business scenario, such as automating a warehouse with RFID.
Winners will receive scholarships of up to $1,000 each. All participating students will be invited to attend a technology showcase and meet with leaders from local technology companies during the career fair as well.
'The response from students and faculty who participated in last year's inaugural Avnet Tech Games was overwhelmingly positive,' said Mary Vanis, director of the Maricopa Community Colleges Center for Workforce Development. 'It showcases the best and brightest technology students and programs from all of the Maricopa Community Colleges, and students apply the marketable technological skills they are gaining from training at their colleges. These are skills employers will demand as technology businesses grow in Arizona, evidenced by Avnet and other companies hiring our students from last year's games.'
Sponsors for the Avnet Tech Games include Accenture, AMD, Calence, EMC, Fujitsu, Microsoft, MATEC (Maricopa Advanced Technology Education Center), New Angle Media and Spark Design.
Open to the public, the Avnet Tech Games are scheduled to run from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 2nd at Kirk Student Center, Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, Ariz. More information is available at www.AvnetTechGames.com.
About the Maricopa Community Colleges
The Maricopa County Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the nation. It includes 10 colleges - Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Estrella Mountain Community College, GateWay Community College, Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix College, Rio Salado College, Scottsdale Community College and South Mountain Community College. The District also includes the Maricopa Skill Center, SouthWest Skill Center, several satellite campuses and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes and serves more than a quarter million students annually.
For more information: 480-731-8333, 480-731-8000 or www.maricopa.edu.
District News: www.maricopa.edu/press.
About Avnet
With more than 250 locations serving customers in 70 countries, Avnet markets, distributes and adds value to the products of the world's leading electronic component suppliers, enterprise computer manufacturers and embedded subsystem providers. Additionally, Avnet brings a breadth and depth of service capabilities, such as supply-chain optimization, logistics solutions, product assembly, device programming, computer system integration and engineering design assistance. For the fiscal year ended July 1, 2006, Avnet generated revenue of $14.25 billion. Visit www.avnet.com/.
MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5310914
CONTACT:
Maricopa Community Colleges
Charles Reinebold, 480-731-8503
press@domail.maricopa.edu
or
Avnet
Michelle Gorel, 480-643-7653
michelle.gorel@avnet.com