Top Craftworkers to Compete at ABC’s National Craft Championships

WASHINGTON (February 16, 2016) – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) announced that more than 200 of the top construction apprentices and trainees in the country will compete in this year’s National Craft Championships, March 2-3, at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This year’s event will feature competitors from 35 states and the largest number of participants in the event’s 29-year history. Competitors will contend for gold, silver and bronze medals and a safety award in 15 competitions representing 13 crafts. The two-day competition, which includes a written exam and a hands-on, practical test where competitors will demonstrate their high-level skills and safety best practices, is part of ABC’s effort to raise the profile of careers in construction and highlight the $1.1 billion ABC member companies spend annually on workforce development.

“Associated Builders and Contractors is excited to showcase the future of the construction industry by honoring the very best craft trainees and apprentices the industry has to offer,” said 2016 ABC National Chair David Chapin, president of Willmar Electric Service, Lincoln, Nebraska. “ABC, its member companies and training partners are committed to developing a safe, world-class construction workforce and we look forward to this opportunity to highlight the industry and the terrific career paths it provides.”

The annual National Craft Championships were first held in Orlando, Florida., in 1987. Apprentices and craft trainees will compete in:

• Carpentry: Residential/Commercial
• Electrical: Commercial-Industrial
• Electrical: Residential-Commercial
• Fire Sprinkler
• HVAC
• Instrumentation Fitting
• Insulation
• Masonry
• Millwright/Industrial Maintenance Mechanic
• Pipefitting
• Plumbing
• Sheet Metal
• Welding-Pipe
• Welding-Structural

This year’s event will also include a team competition featuring journey-level professionals from five different crafts working to complete a joint project, and a heavy equipment demonstration including cranes, mini-excavators, telehandlers, forklift and skid steers. In addition to the competition, the NCC Expo will feature welding simulators, a crane simulator, an interactive fall-protection demonstration and tool and training demonstrations.

For more information, visit the National Craft Championships website.