November 8, 2023  

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 25^th & 26^th 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!