Kuhn, of Sheffield Lake, Ohio, earned his spot by winning the silver medal in the HVACR competition during the SkillsUSA Championships in June 2011, along with completing other qualifying prerequisites.

“I’m so excited about being selected to represent the USA in Germany at the WorldSkills Competition,” Kuhn said. “But I do think my biggest challenge will be working with the metric system and the different electrical voltages that Germany uses.”

The WorldSkills Refrigeration and Air Conditioning contest tests a competitor’s skills in refrigeration pipe work, electrical wiring, component and system installation, commissioning and adjustment, fault finding, repair and part replacement, refrigerant recovery and control, work practices, and safety measures.

Kuhn passed all industry competency exams in both residential and commercial refrigeration, and was a gold medalist in the Ohio SkillsUSA competition in both his junior and senior years of high school. He now holds six NATE certifications and is a Level 5 Pro-Tech technician.

He currently works for Gundlach Sheet Metal in Sandusky, Ohio, after completing a high school HVACR internship there. More than 1,000 individuals under the age of 23 from 53 nations and regions are expected to compete in the WorldSkills competition. For more information visit www.worldskills.org.

Publication date: 12/24/2012