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Last month at the 51st annual SkillsUSA competition, more than 6,000 career and technical education (CTE) students competed in nearly 100 different craft, technical and leadership fields on a national level in Louisville, Ky. As a part of the competition, NCCER has sponsored the SkillsUSA National Carpentry Competition and the National Masonry Competition.

NCCER congratulated the winners in both the carpentry and masonry competitions. The winners included:

Carpentry: High School Medalists

• Gold: Christopher Moran, Plattsburg, Mo.
• Silver: Travis Taylor, Durbin, W. Va.
• Bronze: Thomas Tidwell, Harrison, Ohio

Carpentry: Postsecondary Medalists

• Gold: Matthew Volmer, Parsons, Kansas
• Silver: Jared Zank, Riverton, Utah
• Bronze: Alexander Hernandez, LaBelle, Fla.

Masonry High School Medalists

• Gold: Luke Dutton, Mount Ulla, N.C.
• Silver: Tyler Hack, Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Bronze: Eric Kurtz, Perrysburg, Ohio

Masonry: Postsecondary Medalists

• Gold: Alex Ossowski, Concord, N.C.
• Silver: Cody Palmer, Media, Pa.
• Bronze: Jose Hernandez, Phoenix, Az.

Carpentry contestants framed walls and rafters using wood and metal studs, affixed plywood sheathing to walls, completed fascia and trimmed window framing. The masonry contestants were tasked with constructing a project composed of brick and block that was set on a concrete block base based on detailed drawings. Winners of both competitions were decided based on the combined results of a written exam and evaluation of the competition project by a panel of journey-level judges.

The technical committees made up of industry and education professionals helped to set up the event. ABC member companies involved in either the carpentry or masonry competitions included The Haskell Company, DEWALT, Crossland Construction Company, Nabholz Construction, and Argos USA, among many other industry organizations and associations.