William Kelly, an apprentice in the college’s Electrician Apprentice program, is on his way to the National Craft Championships. William earned a trip to the championships after placing first in the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin skills competition.

Held in January in West Bend, the ABC state showdown included 32 apprentices in carpentry, electrical, HVAC and plumbing trades. The day-long event included a practical competition as well as a written exam. Four Wisconsin technical colleges were represented at the skills event.

Electrical Apprenticeship instructor Mike Merbach points out FVTC has an impressive track record of apprentices advancing to the national level in both electrical and plumbing. “This is always an amazing accomplishment. Our apprentices are prepared academically, but the real accomplishment is when the apprentice puts the required field experience into action; the critical thinking for this competition is key.”

The National Craft Championships are March 15-17 in San Antonio, Texas. William, an apprentice at C.F. Power, LLC, completes his apprenticeship program at Fox Valley Tech in May.