LAS VEGAS - More than 325 sheet metal apprentices and their families from the United States and Canada met in Las Vegas for the annual International Sheet Metal Competition hosted by the International Training Institute (ITI).

Five apprentices from four Sheet Metal Local Joint Apprenticeship Centers around the United States took top honors in the five sheet metal disciplines.

Michael Collins, an apprentice from Sheet Metal Local No. 17 in Boston, won first prize in the HVAC category. Two apprentices from Missouri took home first place finishes as well; Ryan Burton, an apprentice from Sheet Metal Local No. 2 in Kansas City won in the industrial/welding category and Dustin Walker, an apprentice from Sheet Metal Local No. 36 in St. Louis, won in the service category.

Washington state was also represented by two first-place finishes - both from Sheet Metal Local No. 66 out of Tacoma, Wash. Casey Wilson-Williams won top honors in the Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing (TAB) in heating and air conditioning category, and Lee Posey, an apprentice from Gig Harbor, Wash., won in the architectural discipline.

Each competition, no matter the discipline, consisted of a written test, sketching projects, a shop project, and a blueprint reading test.

“The competition is challenging because those who make it in are the United States’ and Canada’s top apprentices,” said James Shoulders, executive administrator for ITI. “These men and women are dedicated to perfecting their craft.”

For more information, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org.

Publication date: 04/05/2010