Western States Holds First Apprentice Contest Since 2011, Debuts New Category
The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation workers Local 104 and Bay Area Industry Training Fund hosted the Western States Apprentice Contest July 18-19 at its Livermore, California, training center. Sixteen apprentices from six locals participated in the first contest in the region since 2011. Another first — the addition of the project management category, which made its debut for the first time at any regional contest.
The competition projects were divided into four categories: architectural, HVAC, industrial/welding and project management, which tested apprentices on their organizational skills and attention to detail in a leadership position.
To compete, apprentices worked long days designing a gutter system, fabricating and installing a duct system, and performing field verification and site measurement. Working side by side, then decompressing together after tasks, they were forging connections with other future industry leaders.
Project management category:
- First place: Austin Cummings, third-year apprentice at Local 105
- Second place: Alex Giroux of Local 104
- Third place: Rebecca Suen of Local 104
Architectural category:
- First place: Esteban Mercado, third-year apprentice at Local 104
- Second place: Three-way tie for second place — Trevor Baker of Local 104, Dillon Uhern and Richard Morrison, both of Local 105
- Third place: Giroux
HVAC category:
- First place: Tie for first place — Mercado and Morrison
- Second place: Baker
- Third place: Uhern
Industrial/welding category:
- First place: Uhern
- Second place: Suen
- Third: Tristan Haynes of Local 104
Scores from all categories were combined to award the overall winners, and the honor of first place overall went to Morrison, with Cummings in second place and Uhern in third.
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