LIMA – Students traveled from Cincinnati on Friday to demonstrate their knowledge of HVAC systems. They competed against each other to see who could fix a stalled air conditioner or oven soldering parts as part of the HVAC division of the annual SkillsUSA championship.
The competition draws thousands of Ohio high school students to Columbus each year. Due to the pandemic, SkillsUSA was out and about this year, hosting individual competitions in cities like Lima.
SkillsUSA offers professional training and competitions in everything from nursing to culinary arts. The competition on Friday focused on the art of heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
“There are so many (HVAC) jobs out there and it’s hard to find people,” said Brad Wendel, business manager for UA Local 776, which represents plumbers, pipe installers and other service technicians in Lima. “So getting high school-aged students interested in this is invaluable.”
The UA Local 776 hosted the HVAC competition in partnership with the University of Northwestern Ohio on Friday.
Jackie Walker, state director of SkillsUSA Ohio, said the competition is an opportunity for students not only to demonstrate their skills, but also to interact with industry representatives.
Students participated in three HVAC challenges on Friday before participating in mock interviews and reviewing their resumes. They gathered important feedback on their skills and interview performance before moving on to the workforce.
“We’re a real world practice environment,” Walker said.
Students traveled to Lima on Friday to attend the HVAC portion of the annual SkillsUSA competition held in multiple cities this spring due to the coronavirus.
