UA’s 2018 International Apprenticeship Contest HVAC Winner
Every year the United Association (UA) holds an International Apprenticeship Contest, bringing together top apprentices from the US and Canada. The apprentices compete in local, state/provincial and district contests, including written and hands on projects. The committee then selects the top individual from each trade from the District Apprentice Contest winners. The recipient of the International Apprenticeship Contest award portrays the UA’s commitment to the highest standard of performance and the desire to make a difference in the lives of the people they teach.
This year’s HVAC winner Ryan D. England, District 4, Local 137, is from Springfield, IL. Ryan is a recent graduate from the UA Apprenticeship program.
Ryan has been employed by AIRmasters, an MSCA member, for the past six years. Robbie Mathews, Founder, Owner and Service Manager of AIRmasters is proud of Ryan’s accomplishment in winning this award but said he is not surprised. “Watching him grow and evolve both personally and professionally has been indescribable for me,” says Mathews. “I believe that almost all accomplishments and accolades in life have some sort of luck involved. But not this one!”
Mathews goes on to say, it is no secret that highly trained HVAC service technicians, especially ones that grow and adapt with the technological advances of the equipment, are becoming harder and harder to find. Employers often need to invest in additional training for service staff, which can be costly. This is not the case with Ryan. His drive for excellence and hunger for knowledge does not go unnoticed by his leader’s or industry peers. He takes a lot of pride in his work and does not rely on others to enhance both his skills and his professionalism. As Mathews said; “Finding a smart guy might come our way, but rarely one that also possesses manners, respect and humility. Ryan is truly the exception”.
Congratulations, Ryan, on a job well-done!
A balance must always be made in technology training. You don’t want to spend so much time on the training process that it keeps people from doing their jobs. You also want to make sure that people understand how to use it and follow up with added training if required. The good news from these results is that it seems like most field users are getting the right amount of time, regardless of the duration, and very few respondents appear to be getting new technology handed to them with little time to practice with it.
