SkillsUSA Selects Plumbing Apprentice for 2026 WorldSkills Competition

SkillsUSA has selected Charles Goede as the official U.S. competitor for Plumbing and Heating for the 2026 WorldSkills Competition. The international skills competition, often referred to as the “Olympics of skilled trades,” will be held Sept. 22-27 in Shanghai, China.

WorldSkills brings together young people, industry, education and government leaders from around the world to advance career and technical education and training. Competitors vie for international honors in skill competitions, showcasing dozens of trade skills.

Goede, the first competitor to be named to the WorldSkills USA delegation, is a plumbing apprentice and graduate from Ella T. Grasso Technical High School in Groton, Connecticut. As the SkillsUSA Connecticut high school state champion in 2024, he went on to place second in the nation in the plumbing competition at that year’s SkillsUSA Championships during the National Leadership & Skills Conference held annually in Atlanta.

To prepare him for WorldSkills, Goede will receive comprehensive support and training from a coalition of industry leaders, including the UA Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 JATC, the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials. Providing him technical expertise will be Robert Hahn, a plumbing and heating instructor at Eastwick College, HoHokus School of Trades and Larry Shoemaker, owner of Deluxe Plumbing & Heating LLC and a member of the PHCC Educational Foundation Board of Directors. Additionally, the PHCC Educational Foundation is playing a critical role in Goede’s preparation, providing both financial and logistical support to ensure he is ready to compete on the international stage.