Western States Apprentices Face Off in Return of Skills Contest
Revived contest pushes collaboration, innovation
TIN KNOCKING: Apprentices bent, measured, and assembled custom ductwork on the fly.
On a bright July morning in Livermore, California, the Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 104 Training Center was anything but quiet. Sixteen apprentices from across California, Nevada and Arizona filtered in, nerves jangling, for the first Western States apprentice contest since 2011. For two days, the place buzzed with the clatter of metal, sharp laughs over coffee, and the kind of camaraderie you only get when there’s something real on the line.
The contest had been on hiatus for over a decade. Some of the instructors, like Nate Vennarucci, hadn’t even seen one before. “This is the first apprentice contest I’ve been a part of,” he admitted, gleaming with pride in the performance of everyone who had come to compete. Each local Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) was allowed to send one competitor for every 300 apprentices.
Vennarucci and instructor Ben Alva, both from Local 104, spent nights and weekends shaping the projects for the contest. The categories included architectural, project management, HVAC, and industrial/welding, with a new twist – this was the first time project management had been thrown into the mix, anywhere. “It was hard, and made them critically think,” said Tim Myres, the administrator who pushed for the new category.
The project management test was something else. Apprentices were handed blueprints, specs, and a puzzle: plan a duct run through the Livermore center’s two-story steel structure, a hulking “red iron” framework built to mimic a real job site. They had to pick equipment based not just on numbers but on whether it’d actually fit the space. Vennarucci put it simply: “It’s a little bit of engineering, a little bit of project management, and a lot of head-scratching.”
That red iron skeleton, by the way, is Livermore’s ace in the hole. Some training centers have big spaces, but this one is unique. It’s not just about having room – it’s about giving apprentices a real field condition. The architectural category saw apprentices clambering over the structure, installing flashing and downspouts while instructors circled like hawks, judging but never helping.
WELDING: Sparks flew as apprentices showcased their precision and grit in the welding category. (Courtesy of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 Bay Area Industry Training Fund)
None of the apprentices had seen the assignments before. “They’re relying on their experience, what they’ve learned at their JATC and out in the field,” Vennarucci said.
Despite the pressure, there was an easy social rhythm that developed. Lunches were shared in the break room. “Oh yeah, we definitely trauma bonded in that room,” joked Kacey Grierson, a fourth-year from Local 206 in San Diego. After each challenge, apprentices would spill out and swap stories – what went wrong, what they’d try next time, why a certain trick always works back in Phoenix or Sparks.
For the instructors and coordinators, the contest became a cross-country idea swap. You’d catch snippets of conversation about how best to use GI Bill benefits, or which training method gets the most out of a new apprentice. Some centers keep a “Coordinator’s List,” others hand out “Apprentice of the Month” tool bags. “It definitely helps you plug any holes in your curriculum,” said David Fox, who teaches at Local 206.
HVAC: Problem-solving and adaptability took center stage as competitors tackled complex HVAC systems. (Courtesy of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 Bay Area Industry Training Fund)
The competition was fierce but friendly. Esteban Mercado, a third-year at Local 104, nabbed first in architectural. The new project management category went to Austin Cummings from Local 105. In HVAC, Richard Morrison (Local 105) and Mercado tied for first. Dillon Uhern from Local 104 took the welding crown. All-around, Morrison edged out the rest for the top spot, admitting after, “Coming out of it, I thought I did all right but didn’t expect this. I prayed a lot.”
Everyone who competed left with more than a handshake and a Carhartt jacket. “Whether you win or lose, this is something you can put on a resume,” Vennarucci said. “You were selected from the pool of all the apprentices at your JATC, to represent your local and to compete at a high level.” It’s something that sticks out. Many of those running the show – business reps, general foremen, instructors – were once the ones sweating through these competitions.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Apprentices faced real-world challenges in project management. (Courtesy of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 Bay Area Industry Training Fund)
Sponsors like Milwaukee Tool and Advanced Welding Supply sweetened the deal with prizes, but the real reward was the sense of connection. “These apprentices are your future leaders, and today they’re getting to know others in the industry,” said Jason Ferguson, a rep from the International Training Institute who knows firsthand. He won the international contest twice as an apprentice.
By the time the awards dinner rolled around, there was a sense that something had shifted. “So much went right, I’m really proud of our staff and Tim Myres, our administrator,” Vennarucci said, looking around the banquet room as apprentices compared jackets and planned where to stash their new tools.
Nobody’s sure yet where or when the next contest will be, but now that the gears are moving again, nobody wants it to stop. “It’s rewarding to see how engaged the students were, and to see them collaborating and talking to each other,” Vennarucci concluded. “No one quit, which was also very positive. I was really happy that everyone finished all the way through.”
As the apprentices packed up to head home – some with awards, all with new stories and new friends – the sense in the room was clear. This wasn’t just a contest. It was the start of something bigger.
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