Sheet metal professionals compete for bragging rights, new truck in March
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – For the first time, the International Training Institute (ITI) will include a category for certified detailers in its annual International Competition, which will be held March 6-10 in Las Vegas. The detailer category will be open to apprentices and journeymen – another first for the annual competition, which is normally open only to apprentices. Considering entrants need to be an ITI-Certified Detailer utilizing the modules of the most recent version of ITI’s BIM training software, competition between the apprentices and journeymen in this category is considered an “even playing field.”
With the new category comes the largest grand prize for a category in the institute’s history – a new pickup for the apprentice or journeyman who takes top honors in the detailer category.
Deadline for competition registration is Friday, Dec. 17. Those who are not yet certified have three more chances to earn their certifications prior to the registration deadline by attending one of ITI’s BIM Academies, which will take place Nov. 8-12 in Detroit; Nov. 29-Dec. 3 in Albuquerque, N.M.; or Dec. 13-17 in Los Angeles. To register, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org/catalog/default.asp.
“We chose to ‘up the ante’ this year with such a large grand prize to encourage our professionals to become ITI-certified detailers,” said James Shoulders, executive administrator for ITI. “BIM is the wave of the future, and the sooner professionals become certified in it, the more opportunities they will be able to take advantage of.”
Hosted by ITI, the preliminary competition will take place online Jan. 8 and preliminary winners will compete for the grand prize at the International Competition in March at Sheet Metal Local #88’s Joint Apprenticeship Training Center – located in Las Vegas at 2540 Marco St., just off North Nellis Boulevard and East Carey Avenue.
The contest hosts competitors in five sheet metal disciplines which, in addition to detailing, includes HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), industrial/welding service, architectural and TAB (Test Adjust Balance in heating and air conditioning). Each competition, no matter the discipline, consists of a written test, sketching projects, a shop project and a blueprint reading test.
More than 15,000 apprentices are registered at training facilities in the United States and Canada. The International Training Institute (best known as ITI) is jointly sponsored by Sheet Metal Worker’s International Association (SMWIA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). ITI offers apprenticeship and advanced career training for union workers in the sheet metal industry throughout the United States and Canada. Located in Alexandria, Va., ITI produces a standardized sheet metal curriculum supported by a wide variety of training materials free of charge to sheet metal apprentices and journeymen.
To register for the contest, or for additional information on the competition or ITI, visit www.sheetmetal-iti.org or call 703-739-7200.