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PHCC Educational Foundation Congratulates Our 2023 National Apprentice Contest Winners
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (November 7, 2023) – The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association’s (PHCC) Educational Foundation is proud to announce the winners of the national plumbing and HVAC apprentice contests. The contests were held October 25th & 26th in Cleveland, Ohio on the tradeshow floor during the PHCC—National Association’s CONNECT 2023 event. A total of twenty-one plumbing and eleven HVAC apprentices from across the nation took part in the contests.
HVAC Apprentice Contest Winners
First place: Jacob Lee of P1 Service in Lenexa, Kansas. He was sponsored by RIDGID.
Second place: AJ Posivak of Deluxe Plumbing & Heating in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was sponsored by Milwaukee Tool.
Third place: Raulie Rojas of Midwestern Mechanical in Rapid City, South Dakota. He was sponsored by RIDGID.
Plumbing Apprentice Contest Winners
First Place: Cody McDonald of Van Contracting, Inc. in Columbia City, Indiana He was sponsored by the International Code Council.
Second place: Nick Vasknetz of Local 525 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was sponsored by Home Depot Pro.
Third Place: Joseph Hardin of Local 333 in Lansing, Michigan. He was sponsored by Bradford White.
The plumbing apprentices were required rough-in a bathroom system. The set-up includes a toilet, sink and shower, complete with supply, waste and vent lines, plus cleanouts and extra features designed to test the contestants’ knowledge and skills. The test set-up includes a variety of pipe materials – cast iron, copper and PVC and corresponding joining methods.
The HVAC competitors were required to complete a written test, demonstrate proper brazing techniques and perform a hands-on diagnostic on an HVAC package unit, with system errors created by the Foundation’s contractor volunteers for the competition. The competitors also had to perform a pressure and leak test, demonstrate proper refrigerant recovery procedures and the ability to accurately take a variety of instrument readings.
A dedicated team of contractor volunteers arrived two days before the competitions to assemble the competitor test benches, distribute the materials and supplies and set up the testing areas. They monitor the competitions, evaluate the apprentices’ work and provide constructive feedback on each competitor’s performance following the event.
The contests are made possible by the generous support of several industry sponsors who provide monetary support and in-kind material and tool donations. Sponsors for the 2023 competitions include, with headline sponsors appearing in bold: AB&I Foundry; A.O. Smith; Bradford White Corp.; BNP-Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine; Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute; Contractor Magazine; Copper Development Association; Delta Faucet Co.; Emerson Copeland; Home Depot Pro; Hudson Technologies; International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO); the International Code Council, Kohler Company; Legend Valve; Milwaukee Tool*; Moen; North American Technician Excellence (NATE); NIBCO INC.; Oatey; NIBCO INC.*; PHCC Academy; PHCC-National Auxiliary, Rheem HVAC and Water Htg. Division*; RIDGID*; Sharkbite; Sioux Chief Manufacturing Co.; State Water Heaters; Tyler Pipe & Coupling; and Zoeller Pump Company. Companies marked with an asterisk sponsored both the plumbing and the HVAC competitions.
“I am proud of the Foundation volunteers and staff who pull these contests together,” said Foundation Chair Kevin Tindall. “These are complicated events between getting the apprentices here and then having all the materials, tools, equipment, volunteers and judges ready to go – and all in a different city each year. It is amazing to see it all come together to create a great experience for the apprentices who are competing.”
About PHCC Educational Foundation The PHCC Educational Foundation, a partnership of contractors, manufacturers, and wholesalers, was founded in 1987 to serve the plumbing-heating-cooling industry by preparing contractors and their employees to meet the challenges of a constantly changing marketplace. Students interested in pursuing a career in the plumbing or HVACR professions are invited to visit phccfoundation.org/scholarships for information on 2024 scholarships.
L to R – HVAC Contest Committee Chair Chip Greene, PHCC Educational Foundation Chair Kevin Tindall, HVAC Contest Winners Raulie Rojas (Third Place), AJ Posivak (Second Place), Jacob Lee (First Place).
L to R – Foundation Chair Kevin Tindall, Plumbing Contest Co-Chairs Larry Shoemaker and Victor Hatcher, Plumbing Contest Winners Cody McDonald (First Place), Nick Vasknetz (Second Place), and Joseph Hardin (Third Place).
Thursday, May 4, 2023
CobbWorks and the PHCGA were awarded the Cinda Herdon-King Award by CareerRise for our PowerUp! Program.
Congratulations Cobb Workforce Development Board! We are pleased to announce that today, CobbWorks and the PHCGA were awarded the Cinda Herdon-King Award by CareerRise for our PowerUp! Program.
The Cinda Herdon-King award honors an organization that has demonstrated innovation in creating collaborative, employer-driven career training programs in our metro Atlanta region. This organization creates family-sustaining wage opportunities and career pathways, and champions economic mobility.
This is an amazing accomplishment as there were a number of great partners in the running, including but not limited to Goodwill, PerScholas, Georgia Piedmont, etc. (see below). CobbWorks and PHCCGA were selected as the winner for the phenomenal work in pre-apprenticeship that promotes economic mobility in the skilled trades for under-served populations.
Thank you CobbWorks and PHCCGA for the incredible partnership. Special thanks to Michelle Baker-Williams, Donna Robinson, Dorma Davis, Pam Johnson and LaDonna Huggins, who helped to develop, launch and nurture the program and its participants from 2021-2023 Additional thanks to PHCCGA Board 2nd VP member Karen Hill, HM Plumbing, for establishing a productive partnership with CobbWorks!
PHCC of Georgia Safety ROPES Program Submission Window Closes May 1st
April 24, 2023 | The PHCC of Georgia created its safety recognition program Safety ROPES in 2021 to Recognize Outstanding Proactive Efforts in Safety for its members. This year's submission window for recognition closes May 1st, 2023.
There are a number of reasons why a safety recognition program is important to business owners. Here are three reasons to consider:
First and foremost, we all understand how important it is for the members of our team, to go home at the end of the work day. And that they go home with the same number of fingers and toes they came to work with. Being recognized for our commitment to the value of safety needs to be celebrated with our team to say thank you and to help encourage them to continue to help us with our safety efforts.
The fact that our business is recognized for our proactive steps to strengthen the value of safety by our industry peers, should be shared with customers to inform them we value not only the safety of our team members, but their safety as well. It is as important to be safe for them and their property as much as it is for us.
By participating in the PHCC GA Safety ROPES recognition program we have the opportunity to evaluate our program and identify any areas we could improve on. Having safety as a value in our businesses in not a destination but a journey we are on every day. Every effort we make to provide safe and healthy places for our team to work is something we need to be evaluated and improved constantly. It is too hard to find good people to be on our team, not to make these efforts.
Visit the Safety ROPES page for more information. For a free consultation about your Safety Program, contact Jonathan Byrd of Flying B Solutions at (706) 621-2177 or the PHCC GA office at [email protected].
~Our very own Susie Greene also won a prestigious award along with the state Chapter winning a Communications Award for Apprentice Materials. Celebrating the Very Best of 2022
PHCC Rocks Podcast Episode 6 It's all about education in the Peach State! Listen in to PHCC—National President Joel Long's conversation with the PHCC of Georgia Team!
PHCC of GA 101 Pilgrim Village Drive, Suite 200 Cumming, GA 30040 Office: 678-947-3473 [email protected]