15 Top Apprentices to Compete at PHCC Educational Foundation’s HVAC Apprentice Contest

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association’s Educational Foundation is hosting its third annual HVAC Apprentice Contest on Sept. 30-Oct. 1 during PHCC’s CONNECT 2015 in Hollywood, Florida.

The HVAC contest features the nation’s top 15 HVAC apprentices in a hands-on competition that comprises six events: brazing, where contestants assemble a refrigeration circuit with components following a drawing; refrigerant recovery and identification; a written knowledge test; an opportunity to take readings on a working package unit and make relevant calculations to determine system operation parameters; electrical troubleshooting and basic electrical skills and wiring.

When 2014 winner Leroy Friend, a technician with Shapiro & Duncan, returned to work after winning the contest, he carried with him a big boost of confidence, more than $4,000 prize package, including state-of-the-art tools to show his colleagues, as well as bragging rights for his company. Says Friend, “I was apprehensive at first, but I went ahead and did it… and I’m glad I did. I came back with tons of confidence, and that’s helped me a lot with my job.” Among the tools he received were refrigeration gauges, hand tools, a drill, an infrared thermometer, a gas detection kit, a multimeter and a camera with a telescopic head that he uses to look into heat exchangers.

In addition to the actual contest, contestants have the opportunity to attend special educational seminars at CONNECT, complete with peer-to-peer networking and exposure to the latest technologies and products available.

Friend’s supervisor and the service manager at his company, Don Jenkins, sees great value in this particular perk and encourages local suppliers to continue supporting the contest by donating tools. “Knowledge is great, but it’s only as good as the tools that you use,” he says, adding that manufacturers are constantly coming out with “newer stuff that’s faster and easier to use” and that education and hands-on exposure among the workforce is critical. “With his new tools and what he already had on his truck, there’s really nothing he can’t do.”

Give Your Apprentice a Shot at the Top!
Do you consider one of your apprentices among the nation’s best? Give them an opportunity to take home top honors – plus valuable tools and prizes – at this year’s HVAC Apprentice Contest in Hollywood, Florida, Sept. 30-Oct. 1 during PHCC’s CONNECT 2015.

It’s a win-win-win for you, your apprentice and the industry, as the contest provides an excellent opportunity to generate awareness for local apprenticeship programs and HVAC companies, as well as boosts interest in the HVAC field and helps attract new recruits to the industry.

Click here for information and contest applications.