This week, two of our apprentices are representing our great organization in the District 2 Apprenticeship Contest. Jacob Dudt and Derek Carangio are in Cincinnati competing to advance to nationals in their individual disciplines.
“It’s an extreme honor to be able to represent 449 at this event. I want to keep competing hard and making our hall proud,” says Dudt.
Jacob will compete in Pipefitting, while Derek competes in the HVAC-R Skills Contest. These two apprentices earned their spots in this prestigious event with victories at both the local and state levels.
“I’m excited for this opportunity. You get one chance to do it, and hopefully we can make it through to nationals,” says Carangio.
Although the individual challenges they will face are kept secret from the competitors, our guys are making sure they are prepared for anything. Whether it’s discussing techniques with our world-class instructors, revisiting class notes, or simulating potential scenarios, they’re doing everything they can to be ready for any challenge that comes their way.
“It’s hard to prepare for a specific task, so I mainly try to brush up on the skills that I think are the weakest,” said Carangio.
Dudt and Carangio are heading to Ohio with some reinforcements. Both men are excited to be bringing their families along for the trip to help cheer them on to victory.
Stay tuned to our blog and social media for the competition results!