Charles Goede Earns International Medal for Excellence, Ranks Among World’s Top Plumbers at WorldSkills Competition
Charles Goede became the first U.S. competitor in nearly a decade to win the Medal for Excellence in the plumbing and heating category at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China (Sept. 22–27).
Goede, a 20-year-old fourth-year plumbing apprentice with the United Association Local 777 from Watertown, Connecticut, competed against 32 of the top young tradespeople from around the world. The four-day event tested competitors’ skill, precision, craftsmanship and time management under high-stakes pressure.
The Medal for Excellence recognizes competitors who achieve an elite international standard, demonstrating true mastery over complex fluid, pressure and climate control systems. Based on the official WorldSkills scale, Goede finished with a 704 score, placing him just 6% away from the top score from Switzerland’s contestant, who took home Gold. Goede is the first American to medal in the category since Asher Chicoine earned a score of 702 in 2017.
Over 22.5 hours of competition, participants were tasked with assembling four complex plumbing and mechanical modules:
- Day 1: Drainage, urinal carriers, sink and shower installation
- Day 2: Steel piping with HDPE fusion fittings and sink installation
- Day 3: Boiler configuration using steel, copper loops and multi-layer PEX
- Day 4: Fixture installation and a heat pump water heater requiring precise copper pipe bending (Goede executed this in just seven bends, under the 8-bend limit).
Goede qualified for the U.S. delegation through SkillsUSA and spent nearly a year preparing under the direction of his technical expert, PHCC Educational Foundation board member Larry Shoemaker and Vinnie Valente from Local 777, alongside a network of dedicated industry mentors. Goede is expected to complete his apprenticeship and take his journeyman’s exam before the end of the year.
