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Nearly 200 of the nation’s best skilled tradespeople competed last week at the 35th National Craft Championships at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center. PHOTO/DAVID
Nearly 200 of the nation’s best skilled tradespeople competed last week at the 35th National Craft Championships (NCC), also known as the Olympics of the Skilled Trades at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center in Kissimmee.
Craft students and apprentices from across the country competed in an intense, day-long, hands-on competition in 16 different competitions including electricians, welders, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC, and linesmen, demonstrating their skills, education and safe work practices for a panel of industry judges to see who is the best at their particular trade. In order to qualify, competitors had to win local competitions.
“The competition is the best of the best in the United States,” said Steve Cona, President and CEO of the Florida Gulfcoast Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC).
Tradespersons had just hours to complete a task with plans they are given just before the competition starts. Fifteen of the categories are individual, with one team competition. Winners are awarded gold, silver and bronze medals as well as cash and tool prizes provided by sponsors.
The NCC comes at a critical time in the construction industry, which has a workforce shortage of more than 500,000 jobs that pay well and offer career mobility without the need of a college degree. Florida alone needs 100,000 more workers just to meet the demand for the growing state.
“We need people in every trade,” says Cona. “So anyone who is interested, it’s a great career opportunity for them. Our industry pays extremely well. You can fast track yourself into the upper class by learning a trade.”
Throughout the competition, workers worked furiously but with purpose at their projects, forming a long line of similar looking construction zones down through the center of the convention hall. Among the competitors were several women. Cona estimates the present percentage of women in the skilled workforce is probably only around 5 to 8 percent directly in the trades, and 10 to 12 percent in the industry all together “We’re seeing an uptick for sure. It’s a great opportunity for women,” he said. “As someone who runs an apprenticeship training program, women are very detail oriented and they make great tradespeople. So some of out best apprentices are female. We’d love to see more females come into the industry and really learn how to do a trade, and they can create a very prosperous career for themselves.”
The convention is ABC’s national conference for commercial and industrial contractors, as well as for vendors such as tool companies and those offering the newest construction technology products. Over 1,200 people attendance the conference, held in Kissimmee for the second year in a row. Next year, the convention moves to Las Vegas.
