Alexis Squyres is taking on a new challenge in Shanghai, China, where she will compete at WorldSkills alongside some of the top talent in manufacturing from around the world.

As the first Phillips partner to compete at WorldSkills, Alexis will put her CNC milling, programming and machining skills to the test while representing Phillips on an international stage.

For Alexis, reaching WorldSkills builds on years of skills competition experience and a career that started with a hands-on interest in manufacturing.

From the Shop to Applications Engineering

Alexis’ interest in manufacturing started early. In middle school, she spent time in her father’s shop learning to weld and making small projects of her own. By high school, she planned to continue welding through a local technical program, but when the welding program filled up, she enrolled in machining instead.

That change introduced Alexis to the field that would eventually become her career. She attended Schuylkill Technology Center in Pennsylvania and later continued her education at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

Along the way, SkillsUSA became part of her journey. As a high school senior, Alexis placed third at the Pennsylvania state competition. During her first year at Thaddeus Stevens, she competed again and earned third place at the national level.

That experience ultimately helped lead Alexis to Phillips, where she now works as an Applications Engineer.

Taking on WorldSkills

WorldSkills takes the type of competition Alexis experienced earlier in her career to another level.

For the competition, Alexis will bring her own toolbox, including end mills, drills, taps, a vise and measuring tools. She will be provided with a DMG DMU 40 machine and a computer. From there, she will be responsible for programming and machining the parts required for the competition.

The competition consists of three modules using brass, steel and aluminum. Depending on the module, Alexis may receive a solid model that she has to modify to match a drawing or only a 2D drawing that she must use to determine how she will program and machine the part.

Each decision matters. Features with tighter tolerances are worth more points, requiring competitors to balance accuracy, strategy and time throughout the competition.

Preparing for the Challenge

Preparing for WorldSkills has required Alexis to adjust the way she normally approaches machining.

One of the first changes was becoming more comfortable working in metric. She has also spent months practicing new programming strategies for extremely tight tolerances and developing a stronger understanding of Mastercam.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot in understanding Mastercam much more thoroughly and being much faster at it,” Alexis said.

While Alexis isn’t working on a machine every day, she sees another part of her experience at Phillips as an advantage.

Her work regularly puts her in different environments, requiring her to adapt to new equipment, applications and challenges.

“I’m constantly in a different environment, so being in a different environment at competition doesn’t really bother me,” Alexis said.

Backed by Her Team

When the opportunity to compete at WorldSkills came up, Alexis brought it to Team Leader Joe Sommers.

As the first Phillips partner to pursue WorldSkills, the opportunity was something new for the team. Joe supported Alexis in taking on the challenge, and that support extended throughout the team.

The experience also creates an opportunity to bring something back to Phillips.

Alexis recalled Joe being interested in seeing how WorldSkills runs its competition and bringing some of that knowledge back to Phillips. Other members of the Applications Engineering team have also been excited about having a WorldSkills competitor on the team.

For Alexis, that means the experience in Shanghai won’t end when the competition does. What she sees, learns and experiences can provide a new perspective she can share with the team when she returns.

Meeting Manufacturing Talent from Around the World

One of the things Alexis is most excited about is meeting the other competitors.

She was particularly excited to discover other women competing in CNC categories from countries around the world.

“I’m excited to see other females in manufacturing and get to meet them, like other people that are top of their game,” Alexis said.

She is also looking forward to experiencing Shanghai and seeing some of the technology there.

For Alexis, simply reaching WorldSkills already carries meaning. She knows competitors from some countries spend significant amounts of time preparing specifically for the competition, making the opportunity to compete alongside them meaningful on its own.

“Even if I don’t believe that I’m doing all that great, I made it here for a reason,” Alexis said.

Now, she’ll have the opportunity to put her experience, preparation and skills to the test while representing Phillips at WorldSkills.

As the first Phillips partner to take on the challenge, Alexis is opening a new chapter in her own journey and bringing the Phillips team along with her.

Phillips is proud to support Alexis as she takes on WorldSkills.