Ryan Young, a fourth-year apprentice with U.A. Local 853 Sprinkler Fitters Ontario, took home the main title at the 31st annual International Apprentice Competition in Ann Arbor, Mich. recently.
Young competed against six other apprentices, five from the United States and one from Australia. The gruelling five-day contest included testing on basic theory knowledge, code utilization, blueprint reading, welding and a large practical project.
“Pretty much every aspect of the trade, things that you don’t ever think you’re going to be dealing with when you learn it in school, those are all the things you get tested on in the competition,” explained Young, who installs new sprinklers in renovated units or retrofits.
