According to SkillsUSA, contestants took a written exam and were tested in brazing skills, refrigerant component service, air measurement and troubleshooting, refrigerant recovery and electrical troubleshooting.
The competition included a series of testing stations designed to assess skills identified by industry HVACR standards. The workstations portion of the contest included industry equipment like ice machines, refrigerated display cases, small package HVAC units, furnaces and split-system air conditioning, heat pump units and geothermal units.
Students were judged on the basis of their use of tools and test equipment, speed, accuracy and safety.
“The hardest part is keeping your nerves down and not getting distracted so you are able to show what you know and not have any mind blocks,” Shupert said.
He also earned a gold medal at the Ohio competition this spring, which qualified him to compete against the top students from across the country. He was accompanied by his family and his Environmental Controls HVAC instructor, Deon Gephart, who taught him for two years in the WCCC program.
“Andrew was a very good student, and he excelled at everything he did in the lab,” Gephart said. “He has a natural talent for the field and displayed top quality skills. Diagnosing equipment comes naturally to him. The competition was really good this year at nationals, and I am very proud of him.”
Students in the two-year HVAC program experience job estimating, installation and service of refrigeration systems, controls, mechanical components and general heating systems and diagnostics and problem-solving in their lab.
“Having great teachers at the Warren County Career Center prepares you for the real world, for what you truly need to know to be able to have a successful life in any program you go for,” Shupert said. “The career tech schools are a great place for students who want to learn a trade that they are interested in. It helps them to begin their careers while still deciding about college. Not all high school students will go on to college, so the career tech schools are a great stepping stone into the work force.”
The skills he learned at WCCC now are being put to the test: Shupert works as a service technician with Watkins Heating and Cooling in Springboro.
“We are all proud of Andrew,” SkillsUSA advisor Steve Williamson said. “Students who participate in SkillsUSA, or any of the other career-technical student organizations, mature into leadership roles, hone skills needed in their career field, and gain confidence and new friends from around the state and around the nation.”
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