From Kansas to the World Stage: A Diesel Tech’s success at WorldSkillsUSA

Cale Mouser [: 00:00:00

And then the other thing that for me was just incredible was the industry support. I'm a mechanic in Kansas. At that point in time, I was just living my life. And all of a sudden I have these opportunities from Caterpillar, from Collins, from Volvo, from these other large manufacturers. They're just, hey, we want you to come here. I mean, Caterpillar donated a week of training in Peoria. One on one training. That was just incredible.

Cale Mouser [: 00:00:23

And that's industry support. I'm like, holy smokes, this is a lot bigger than even I thought it was, even knowing I was going into.

Andrew Brown [: 00:00:33

Hi, I'm Andrew Brown. You're listening to the Lost Star of the Skilled Trades podcast, a show that shines the spotlight on careers in the skilled trades that are high paying, honorable, rewarding and fulfilling. The trades are the backbone of the economy that keep us running, and without them, our world would cease to exist. Today we have a special guest, Cale Mosier of North Dakota State College of Science. Welcome, Cale, to the show.

Cale Mouser [: 00:01:08

Great to be here. Thank you.

Andrew Brown [: 00:01:10

I get super excited. I always perk up when I talk about SkillsUSA. And for the people who don't know about SkillsUSA, they bring 6,500 students down to Atlanta in the championships to compete against each other in different types of trades. And I mentioned this a couple times on a few different podcasts and I'm just wearing the shirt today just to represent. Now that I always feel is the Olympics of skilled trades, but there's a step up and it's called World Skills, which takes place in Lyon, France. Now, Calee, you had a chance to go there and represent the U.S. tell us a little bit about what World Skills is all about.

Cale Mouser [: 00:01:52

Hey, you said it right there, nail on the head. It is the Olympics of the skilled trades. I mean, we had, I believe There was over 60 different nations represented. There was 14 different nations in my competition. And we are the best of the best that we were sent to represent. The ability to be basically an Olympian, known as hey, USA for a week was something I never thought I'd have the ability to do and was very humbling and exciting at the same time.

Andrew Brown [: 00:02:22

Tell us a little bit about what you were competing in, a little bit about sort of your niche within the trades.

Cale Mouser [: 00:02:28

Absolutely. So I am a diesel technician by trade and I competed in heavy equipment vehicle technology. So we had six different stations. We went through over four days working on wheel loaders, excavators, you know, different mechanical problems, electronic problems with the type of equipment we deal with.

Andrew Brown [: 00:02:48

Now, these are the big four wheels like you see in the mines, right? Like the massive vehicles.

Cale Mouser [: 00:02:56

It'd be applicable due to space constraints. We had a couple smaller things, but there was some larger stuff as well.

Andrew Brown [: 00:03:02

And what is that competition? The pressure. And I can imagine just being on that stage and representing the US what the pressure is to come back and obviously do the best that you can. But did you feel pressure working in the competition?

Cale Mouser [: 00:03:19

Absolutely, yeah. Because we're timed, we get three hours and there's just a list of, hey, this is what's wrong with it. And you've got, you know, another expert from another country standing there judging you, which that's neither here nor there. But he's just a man standing there with an iPad and as you do something, he hit little buttons on it and you're dang it. Did that go right? You know, keeping a level head and just realizing that no matter where we are, you know, machines work the same, thankfully. And being able to take that back was a calming factor for sure.

Andrew Brown [: 00:03:49

You mentioned keeping a level head. How do you prepare for something like that on a, you know, real worldwide stage? Like, what kind of prep did you do ahead of time?

Cale Mouser [: 00:04:01

So going into this. Yeah. So the selection process started after the 2023 national championship there in Atlanta. And from that time on after being selected, I worked with different manufacturers, Cummins, Caterpillar, John Deere, to familiarize myself with as many different operational systems, you know, manufacturing the little differences between manufacturers. Right. To be as prepared as possible, try to get my hands on a little bit of everything. We did some time with Volvo as well out in Pennsylvania. That was just spectacular.

Andrew Brown [: 00:04:33

And the training that you went through, is there anything that wasn't thrown at you? I mean, all the different issues that can pop up on all these different types of machines. Were you ever just like, wait a second, where'd that issue come from? Or have you seen it?

Cale Mouser [: 00:04:46

There's always something new when it comes to this trade especially. But when working with these machines, you know, they are all very similar. So there was a couple new things and a couple things that were just, hey, I know this one, you know.

Andrew Brown [: 00:05:01

And I'm sure it keeps you on your toes. But how do you stay up and up on changes that are made on like a John Deere, you know, machine or different types of machines? How do you stay up and up to keep your skills fresh?

Cale Mouser [: 00:05:15

That's a full time job in and of itself. I'm blessed to be in a position where I'm able to work with other instructors here that do keep up on that so I get to speak with them. But when I wasn't, it was as simple as well, here's this machine and familiarizing myself with it and finding the people to ask the questions to.

Andrew Brown [: 00:05:33

Yeah, and it's all about getting around the right people. And I can only equate it to cars and the constant changes of vehicles and the technology. I had somebody else on the podcast, we were talking about older cars and carburetors and then fuel injection and then we got all the way up to Teslas and electric and trying to keep up and up on the technology show. It's ever, ever changing. Is the tech changing in a lot of these vehicles too that you're seeing?

Cale Mouser [: 00:05:59

Oh, absolutely. Like I said, it is a full time job to keep up with the innovations in the industry. We're getting machines that are so much more efficient, so much more comfortable for the operators. I mean that's a big one for us, is when a guy sits in a machine for 12 plus hours a day, he needs to be as efficient. When he starts at 8am is when he clocks out. So there's so many things happening and.

Andrew Brown [: 00:06:20

You want to make sure that those machines are running because in a handful of minutes they're down. The amount of money that it will cost the job or project or company is dramatic.

Cale Mouser [: 00:06:30

Absolutely no. One of the things I loved about being a technician and when I started I didn't really see this, but as I got into the industry more in World skills and World skills opened my eyes to this a lot more is the reality of our world is that what hasn't been built with diesel, you know, when it comes to the machines that we drive down, the roads that we built, the roads with, that build, the hospitals, the building we're sitting in, you know, things of that nature and being, that's my impact, that's my field. That was just incredible realization and really spurred me forward.

Andrew Brown [: 00:07:03

I want to come back to World Skills in just a moment and kind of roll back. You know, when you were younger, why diesel tech? Was there somebody in your family who was in the trades? Like where does it come from, that passion?

Cale Mouser [: 00:07:17

There's a little bit of background and a little bit of. I wanted to. I come from a family of mechanics. My grandfather was a heavy diesel mechanic. He actually worked on pump units for the pipeline way back when. But I grew up farming, so I've always been around diesels and I've always been working with my hands and working with equipments and I always enjoyed it. And when I took a step Back from a four year degree, I decided that, well, a technical college was a easier step rather than a gap year. And once I came here, I realized that this isn't just something to pass my time off on and kind of figure out what I want to do.

Cale Mouser [: 00:07:53

This is what I want to do. This is the impact that I have. And then I carried that forward to the point where I ended up in Lyon, which was an amazing experience, that whole backstory. For me, the customer is the priority at the end of the day, but the customer isn't just the owner of that piece of equipment. It's people in the grocery store when the truck makes it there, you know, and that's, like I said, that's my impact in the world and it's a very unique place to be.

Andrew Brown [: 00:08:22

I always feel, follow your passion, right? You're happy in what you want to do, right. And that just keeps you going. But in some cases I get different stories from different people who've had different experiences in the trades that some families were supportive, some families were not supportive. In your case, coming from a line of mechanics, it just seemed like for you the next step for you to get into something like that. So we are. When you said you wanted to go into diesel technology, were your parents supportive in that?

Cale Mouser [: 00:08:52

Oh, 100%, absolutely. They just get a fully trained mechanic now instead of a shade tree.

Andrew Brown [: 00:08:58

So you talked about not going the four year college degree, and that's not for everybody. What would you say to kids out there who don't want to go to college route but are thinking about working with their hands, but just they're not sure? What would you say to those kids?

Cale Mouser [: 00:09:14

110%, go find a shop, go find a electrician and say, hey, I want to try it. You know, nine times out of ten they're going to say, all right, jump in the truck and you get to try it. You get paid along the way, you get to learn, you get that experience. And if that's what you decide you want to do, you can either pursue continuing to work or pursuing a degree in it, you know, at a technical college. Or if you don't like it, oh no, you gained experience, you learned how to work with people and you get to move on to something else within the trades industry or not at all. I felt coming out of high school that there was this pressure to go to college, go to a four year and all these things. And looking back on it now, I wish I would have just gone and worked a hundred percent. And that's what I'll encourage anyone to do.

Cale Mouser [: 00:09:59

If you don't know, go try it. Absolutely.

Andrew Brown [: 00:10:02

I think that's a great way to look at things that you just need to try, especially when you're younger and you have a little bit more time on your hands to try different things, it may be the right fit for you. But if you have that mechanical ability, and I always say that technical spark, if you just kind of like working with your hands, at least try it. And again, you found sort of your passion and what you wanted to do, but you were also kind of surrounded by it in your household. So it really kind of depends also of your upbringing. But I've seen some people where they've just not come from any blue collar background at all and just decided, well, this is what I want to do, so follow your passion to that point.

Cale Mouser [: 00:10:37

I have a good buddy of mine who we grew up together and then I went down the technical college route and he didn't know what he wanted to do. And he actually just graduated here from the college where I now teach with the degree and has a wonderful career ahead of him.

Andrew Brown [: 00:10:53

With diesel technology, what can kids expect roughly just starting out? Because there's a lot of questions when it comes to wages or what you can make per hour. Can you give us any info on, you know, kind of starting out, what somebody would expect to make and what they can, you know, as they start to climb that ladder and get more experience, what that wage would turn into?

Cale Mouser [: 00:11:16

What the wage can turn into is, is all about how you as an individual work and it's based on that. Right. I know of a gentleman making 150 plus a year, you know, they're doing very well. Running out of a service truck where, you know, when I started into the field here, I had started at 18 to $20 an hour, you know, due to ability to work and competency. And I watched others move faster than me and I myself moved up rather quickly. You got to pass a probationary period. That's one of the biggest things that's hard is we don't like to wait as people. And I'm, I'm one of those myself.

Cale Mouser [: 00:11:53

But just as the employer, they're taking a risk and respecting that, you know, and they have to learn you and you have to learn them. But once that relationship has started, there really is. The sky's the limit.

Andrew Brown [: 00:12:05

I think that's a great mindset because some people look at the wages and they say, well, if I'm only going to make 19, $20 an hour, you know, I could do something else. I can go into social media. I can work for fast. Like, people are looking at different things and not saying, well, delayed gratification is instant gratification. If instant gratification is what you're looking for, this might not be the right path. But if you want a little bit of delayed gratification, like anything else, you need to learn the ropes. You need to soak in all the knowledge and then work your way up. But you don't have to stay stagnant.

Andrew Brown [: 00:12:37

It depends what you want and how far you want to take it.

Cale Mouser [: 00:12:40

Yeah, no, absolutely. The only person that can make a change for you is yourself.

Andrew Brown [: 00:12:44

Oh, yeah. It all comes down to the individual. Everybody wants sort of different things. I wanted to pivot back to World Skills for a quick second. So there's SkillsUSA. There's a Championships. You had mentioned that you had won SkillsUSA, so you came out as a champion in what year?

Cale Mouser [: 00:13:02

2022 and 2023. I competed as a competitor from North Dakota. My first year, I received bronze. My second year, I received gold. And then following that with World Skills coming up in 2024, we started the selection process. Now, it's not. You win a gold medal, you're the person going to World Skills. We actually take the top three competitors.

Cale Mouser [: 00:13:26

So bronze, silver, gold from the previous two years in both high school and college. So there was 12 potential competitors. And then we all have to compete again against each other for the position as the World Skills competitor.

Andrew Brown [: 00:13:40

So you're against how many people?

Cale Mouser [: 00:13:43

I believe there was four of us in the running this year that were eligible and willing and things like that. World Skills was one of those things where they said. They talked about it a little bit at Nationals, but we'd never heard of it. I had never heard of Skills USA before I hit the post secondary level. It's not as prominent as an FFA or 4H type organization. World Skills was just this kind of carrot in the sky over here that nobody kind of knew about. This is there. It did come through and become my reality, and now I just need to let the world know about it.

Andrew Brown [: 00:14:16

Yeah, I mean, it's one thing to get into the Championships of SkillsUSA. And I think people need to realize what it takes to actually get to that. Even at the state level, you need to win a handful of times before you get to the championships, but then to compete against people who are probably just as good as you are, that you were able to. You were able to level up and get to a place where you just you got selected. What was it like when you, you know, sort of found out that you're going to go compete in World Skills?

Cale Mouser [: 00:14:46

There was a little bit of shock and there was also a little bit of hesitancy because I didn't really fully know what it was yet. I'll be completely honest, I didn't understand what it would entail. But once we kind of laid out what we were planning on doing and how the timeline would work out, I definitely got a lot more involved. And as I learned more about it, for sure, I was definitely a lot more anxious and eager to keep going. And then the other thing that for me was just incredible was the industry support. I'm a mechanic in Kansas. At that point in time I was just living my life and all of a sudden I have these opportunities from Caterpillar, from Cummins, from Volvo, from these other large manufacturers. Hey, we want you to come here, Amy.

Cale Mouser [: 00:15:25

And Caterpillar donated a week of training in Peoria. One on one training. That was just incredible. And that's industry support. I'm like, holy smokes, this is a lot bigger than even I thought it was, even knowing I was going into it. And so absolutely, definitely the excitement built as we got closer and closer and closer to that date. And then we hit the plane and then it didn't really hit me until we had landed. We had got to our hotel, dropped our bags off, we went into City center in Leon.

Cale Mouser [: 00:15:50

I can remember exactly where we were. I was sitting at a little cafe next to an old cathedral with a newer cathedral up on top of the hill. We were sitting there and watching other people go by and I turned to my buddy, huh, we finally made it. So we're in France now. This is what we're 100% doing. And it was just incredible.

Andrew Brown [: 00:16:09

How many people were in the audience.

Cale Mouser [: 00:16:11

I couldn't even tell you. But I believe there were 1200 competitors this year in World Skills from the different representing nations. Might have been more than that. I haven't checked the numbers recently. I apologize. There was a lot of competitors there. I think there was 60 some nations represented. So I'm being able to, you know, within my competition there was 15 or 14 other competitors.

Cale Mouser [: 00:16:32

Excuse me. And being able to network and learn and talk with them, you know, still friends with the Swiss competitor that won and others that we still kind of keep in contact and just learning about how they do things and how I do things. And we have that commonality because we're technicians. At the end of the day, where he rides his Bike and rides a train and I jump in my pickup and drive away. But we're still mechanics at the end of the day and we can converse on that level for sure and start something from there.

Andrew Brown [: 00:16:59

Even though that you guys compete, you could still remain friends and that you're in the same journey to some degree or the same path that you can stay in touch and continue to talk about sort of the industry and what you're doing is great.

Cale Mouser [: 00:17:14

Absolutely. Meaning, like I said, all the different competitors, their different aspects of the industry, you know, how they work versus how we work, it was just incredible to be able to learn from them and speak with them, and I'd call many of them friends.

Andrew Brown [: 00:17:27

Tell me about the Medallion of Excellence.

Cale Mouser [: 00:17:30

Yes. So the Medallion of Excellence is awarded to a competitor who receives over a 700 on their overall score. So where I landed, I landed at a 716 points. I was 17 points away from first place, who won with a 733, but there was four other individuals that made it in between. So I actually ended up in fifth place. But the scores are that tight, that 17 point spread, we were a little less than 10 points off the podium for third. It was just being that close and knowing the competition and how it goes for all of us, we all just kind of looked at it and went, well, it was a bad day for one of us and a good day for another, and walked away from it, kind of looking at each other more or less as equals, no matter the color of the medals.

Andrew Brown [: 00:18:14

It's almost like a runner, you know, you see them at the end and it's just like a half out of like an inch difference being first, second or third place. So are you going to compete in the future?

Cale Mouser [: 00:18:26

So I am now ineligible. I am no longer a student ineligible to compete in SkillsUSA. And I'm only allowed to compete at World Skills once as well. Now I am focused on creating the next competitor, working with my expert, Tom Wozniak from Madison Area Tech College. So him and I, and then other previous competitors get to work to train the 2026 competitor. When we send someone to Shanghai, that's super exciting.

Andrew Brown [: 00:18:56

And you get to sort of pay it forward. Somebody helped you, you're helping somebody else train them, prepare them.

Cale Mouser [: 00:19:03

I came back from France and after taking a week to kind of clear my head and sitting in his truck hauling sugar beets for a farmer up here, I received a job offer from my, I guess my alma mater, the college that I graduated from. After the paperwork and the interview process, I started as an instructor here in the middle of October, right about when our quarters start. And now I'm an instructor at a technical college, which is an incredible opportunity, especially for someone my age to have. And I'm very grateful for it and like you said, paying it forward for sure. But I dealt with different levels of technicians in all the different areas that have worked and now I get to be part of training the next generation of skilled technicians to go out and keep our nation rolling.

Andrew Brown [: 00:19:48

It's all about giving back. It's about mentorship and, you know, seeing somebody who's got sort of that technical spark that, you know, you can sort of fine tune a little bit their skill set. But you're giving back. You're passionate about what you're doing. Kael if people want to find out more about you, what's the best way Social media website.

Cale Mouser [: 00:20:10

Yeah. So as far as with the world skills go, it is WorldSkillsUSA.org There is an entire page dedicated to just us and the competitors. As far as myself, I'm on, you know, instagram and starting TikTok again at Moser Motorsports. That's my hobby on the side. And then as far as the college goes, North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, North Dakota. Our website's right there and we'll tell you all about our DIESEL program, our AS instructors. Our contact information is listed and I'd be happy to chat with anyone about the opportunities we have here.

Andrew Brown [: 00:20:48

Keep up the great work. Would like to find out about 2026 and how that is going for that person who's training. It's just amazing just to hear sort of your journey and what you've done. So thank you so much for being on the show today.

Cale Mouser [: 00:21:02

Thank you. I appreciate you asking me on and.

Andrew Brown [: 00:21:05

Thank you to our listeners. If you're looking for a dynamic keynote speaker to elevate your next event, head over to andrewbrown.net and review some of my speaking topics, trades awareness, career exploration, advocacy and addressing the trade shortage. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss another episode. We'll see you next time. Thanks for listening to the Lost Art of the Skilled trades. Visit us@AndrewBrown.net for more resources and tips. Join us next time for real stories and meaningful initiatives as we celebrate our men and women in the skilled trades and shape the future together.