PHCC Educational Foundation Crowns Winners of National HVAC Apprenticeship Competition
Nine of the nation’s top HVAC apprentices recently put their skills to the ultimate test during the PHCC Educational Foundation’s newly launched National HVAC Apprenticeship Competition in South Dakota. This contest debuted a new format focused on real-world troubleshooting and technical agility.
In a significant departure from prior years, the contest’s format changed from separate technical stations to a single, high-stakes HVAC field assembly. Competitors from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, California and Virginia were tasked with installing a complete split system heat pump, which involved piping, wiring and vacuum charging precisely to the manufacturer’s specifications, effectively simulating a real-world factory start-up procedure.
The competition drew nine highly skilled technicians. While they did not need to be their state’s winners, they had to be familiar with field work and certified to safely handle refrigerants. The competition ran parallel to the South Dakota PHCC’s state convention in Deadwood with seminars and hands-on demonstrations for local high school students to see what work in the trades looks like.
This year’s HVAC contest winners were:
- First Place – Cole Kelley, Pipefitters Local 537 Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
- Second Place – Jantzen Fisher, Midwestern Mechanical, Rapid City, South Dakota
- Third Place – Will Lauseng, Waterbury Heating & Cooling, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
