Shining a Light on Registered Apprenticeship in the Skilled Trades: The 2024 N.C. State Fair Apprentice Contests
Raleigh— Oct 21, 23-25, 2024 — ApprenticeshipNC (ANC), the State Apprenticeship Agency housed under the North Carolina Community College System, hosted the 2024 N.C. State Fair Apprentice Contests October 21, 23-25, 2024. The contests, which highlight the impact that Registered Apprenticeship has on workforce and economic development in the skilled trades, brought together employers, Registered Apprentices, and supporters from across the state. This year marked milestones for two of the contests —the Masonry Apprentice Contest celebrated its 70th year and the HVAC/R Apprentice Contest celebrated its 20th year.
The contests drew attention from both news media and the state legislature. CBS17 covered the 70th Annual Masonry Apprentice Contest on its noon and 5:00 p.m. news on October 21, and Scott Mason highlighted the 38th Carpentry Pre-Apprentice Contest during a Tarheel Traveler segment for WRAL on October 25, 2024. Portia Bright-Pittman, Legislative Assistant, Office of Representative Sarah Crawford, and Tina Riley-Humphrey, Legislative Assistant, Office of Representative John Autry, visited the 39th Annual Electrical Apprentice Contest to speak with employers, learn from industry experts, and cheer on the contestants.
- 70th Annual Masonry Apprentice Contest Winner: Mason Ridenhour, Ridenhour Masonry, Inc.
- 39th Annual Electrical Apprentice Contest Winner: James Black, Pitt Electric ORI, LLC.
- 38th Annual Carpentry Pre-Apprentice Contest Winners: Kennedy Garcia-Garcia and Kevin Silverio Lucas, Bunn High School
- 37th Annual Plumber Apprentice Contest Winner: Gates Cook, Drew’s Services LLC
- 20th Annual HVAC/R Apprentice Contest Winner: Benjamin Ledbetter, Miller & Condrey HVAC/Refrigeration, Cleveland Community College
116 contestants competed across the week in masonry, electrical, carpentry, HVAC-R, and plumbing contests from over 30 different employers and schools. The top ten winners in each category received cash prizes provided by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and various tools and accessories donated by industry-related contest sponsors and supporters.1st Place contestants and their employers/schools will receive plaques commemorating their wins at a later date.
The NC State Fair Annual Apprentice Contests represent only 5 of the over 1200 occupations that are apprentice-able under the U.S. Department of Labor. ApprenticeshipNC continues to grow Registered Apprenticeship across the state with over 15,000 apprentices served in 23-24 and nearly 5000 participating employers and sponsors.
View photos from the contests on ANC’s Flickr Account: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBQ3bs
View the Contest Book here: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/882236267/
About ApprenticeshipNC: Recognized by the Office of Apprenticeship to act on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor, ApprenticeshipNC is the State Apprenticeship Agency authorized to register apprenticeship programs tailored to meet employers’ needs— providing structured on-the-job learning, supplemental education, and a progressive wage scale.
For more information, press only:
Amy Davis-Moore
Davis-moorea@nccommunitycolleges.edu
919-618-6249
Margaret Spainhour
spainhourm@nccommunitycolleges.edu
984-383-8908
