Concord site of state Apprentice Contest

Concord’s Plumbing and Steamfitting Local 342 hosted this year’s state Apprentice Contest for the United Association (UA).

UA is the international union that encompasses the five piping crafts: sprinkler fitting, plumbing, pipefitting, welding and HVACR tech.

Twenty-three of California’s 28 locals unions participated in the May 22-23 event. Of the 4,600 apprentices, 63 were chosen to represent their locals in one of the five disciplines at the contest.

The highest scoring apprentice in each craft moved on to the regional competition for the 11 Western states, held in Boise. The winner from that contest will join the national contest in Ann Arbor, Mich., in July.

Building trades apprenticeships are one of the best-kept secrets in higher education. Apprentices in the piping industry earn college credits while attending their apprenticeship. Once they graduate, they can earn associate degrees from a local community college.

As the construction industry continues to become more complex, the apprentices learn cutting-edge technology to produce a highly trained workforce.