Michigan – It wasn’t church or golf that got the nation’s top plumbing and pipefitting apprentices up early one Sunday this past August.  They were getting ready to go to work.  Ahead of them were five intensive days of troubleshooting, rigging, bending, cutting, leveling, welding and brazing—with a panel of judges looking over their shoulders.

The apprentices all had one goal: Each wanted to come out on top in the first International Apprenticeship Competition to be held in 33 years, a contest hosted by the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada. The event was supported and officiated in part by the Copper Development Association (CDA).

Although none of the 30 contestants had yet reached journeyman status, all were five-year veterans of the UA apprentice program and their skills were not in question. According to CDA Regional Manager Dale Powell, one of several industry professionals who helped set up the event, “The most difficult part we had was to create a competition that could really test all their abilities.”

This year’s event, the first since the competition program was discontinued in 1974, was held during the annual UA Instructor Training Program (ITP), August 11-16, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Powell, CDA’s Northeast Regional Manager and a master plumber, began working with the UA in 2006 to get the contest up and running again. Each of the six regions within the UA—five from United States and one from Canada—were represented. The competition was divided into five disciplines that included plumbing, pipefitting, sprinkler installation, mechanical and electrical service, and welding.

Joining Powell as a judge for the copper segment of the competition was CDA National Program Manager Andrew G. Kireta, Jr. They were assisted by Myron Havis, the association’s Midwest Regional Manager.

According to Mr. Kireta, the contest is a good way “to promote and support quality installation of copper piping systems, and to recognize the hard work and skill of the apprentices.” All of the copper tube, pipe and fittings used in the competition was provided by CDA, along with instructors for training courses during the event.

The copper segment of the competition covered four of the five disciplines and included testing the apprentices’ skills at joining copper tubing. A separate brazing contest was held for the remaining discipline, welding.

Among the rigorous events that the apprentices underwent during the week was a written test, two bending tests, HVAC troubleshooting, a “welding practical” and tube bending. From Sunday through Thursday, the apprentices competed continuously from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Capping off the week was the ITP graduation ceremony in which the winners from the five disciplines were announced. Top honors included $1,000 awards for each of the winners, and copper trophies appropriately donated by CDA.

At the close of the competition, Powell quipped, “Those boys were running their butts off all week.  Makes me glad I wasn’t a contestant!”

Winners of the five disciplines include:

HVAC: John Johnson of Local #50 (Region 2), Toledo, OH

Pipe Fitter: Andrew Kennedy of Local #50 (Region 2), Toledo, OH

Plumber: Greg Bartus Local #690 (Region 2), Philadelphia, PA

Sprinkler Fitter: Kevin Holbrook of Local #669 (Region 2), Columbia, MD

Welder: Gerald Arnold of Local #208 (Region 5), Denver, CO

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The Copper Development Association is the information, education, market and technical development arm of the copper, brass and bronze industries in the USA.

News Release

from the Copper Development Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Danielle McAuley. 212-251-7209                                                                                  dmcauley@cda.copper.org

Michael Morris, 212-297-2112
mmorris@kellencompany.com

Photos available on request