CARBONDALE — Since he was a child, Nathan Bulthuis has been “taking stuff apart and working with my hands.” That acumen will allow Bulthuis, a junior in Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Automotive, to show his skills on an international stage this fall.

Bulthuis will represent the United States in automotive technology at the 2024 WorldSkills Competition, Sept. 10-15, in Lyon, France. The 47th annual contest is expected to bring more than 1,500 contenders from more than 65 countries to take part in 62 skills challenges, including construction and building technology, creative arts and fashion, manufacturing, engineering, transportation and logistics. He is one of nine members — the only one in automotive technology — on the 2024 WorldSkills USA team.