High school teams from across northeast Wisconsin showcased their craftsmanship and creativity at the sixth Annual Heat Up Your Future skills competition hosted by Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local 400 and the Mechanical Contractors Association of North Central Wisconsin.
Teams built custom pipe stoves to exact specifications with provided materials in their home schools before bringing their finished projects to the UA Local 400 Training Center in Kaukauna for judging. Two instructors from the UA Local 400 staff, Bill Bishop and Jason Zeeveld, evaluated each project on weld quality, dimensional accuracy, and overall creativity.
During the judging period, students toured the training center, met field professionals, and explored career pathways in the fabrication, plumbing, steamfitting, and HVACR trades.
One point separated each team in the top four spots.
Competition Winners:
- First Place: Neenah High School
- Second Place: Marinette High School
- Third Place: Freedom High School
Guest speakers Cameron Hudziak and Isaiah Hohnburger, both 4th year fabrication apprentices, delivered remarks emphasizing the value of skilled trades education and the opportunities available through apprenticeships. They emphasized the importance of math in the pipetrades and encouraged students to take their math classes seriously.
Each participating team received a Milwaukee Tools bag full of PPE plus a drawing was held for raffle prizes including gift cards, Local 400 gear and a DeWalt heated vest. Miller Electric donated a Miller Multimatic 255 Welding Machine, valued at over $6,160, to the event, and it was awarded in a random drawing to Southwest High School.
A record 19 schools participated from the area: Algoma Venture Academy • Appleton East High School • Appleton Technical Academy • Clintonville High School • Destinations Career Academy/Wisconsin Virtual Academy • Freedom High School • Green Bay Preble High School • Gresham High School • Howards Grove High School • Kaukauna High School • Kiel High School • Luxemburg-Casco High School • Marinette High School • Menasha High School • Neenah High School • Plymouth High School • Pulaski High School • Seymour Community High School • Southwest High School
Six contractor members participated and spoke with students about future job opportunities at their companies:
- August Winter & Sons’
- Team Industries
- AZCO
- EGI Mechanical
- Tweet/Garot Mechanical
- Hurckman Mechanical Industries
“We’re proud to have welcomed a record number of nineteen schools this year,” said Nick Johnsen, UA Local 400 Recruiting Coordinator. “The quality of work these students produced was nothing short of amazing. Their projects reflect the same problem-solving, precision, and pride we value in our trade, and it’s exciting to see that level of skill and curiosity at the high school level.”
Danielle Whalen, Business Onboarding Specialist & School-Based Coach of CESA 7, said., “The event was incredibly well-organized and provided our students with an invaluable opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a hands-on setting. Our students left the competition energized and inspired. Experiences like this not only build technical skills but also strengthen confidence, teamwork, and professionalism, qualities that are essential for success in the trades. The students came away with a new appreciation for the craftsmanship and dedication required in the welding profession.”
