ABC to host construction championships, management competition

Washington-based Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) will host more than 200 of the country’s top construction professionals to compete at the premier skilled trades contest in Salt Lake City, March 19, at the organizations’ 37^th annual National Craft Championships (NCC).   

NCC highlights lifelong learning in construction, drawing craft professionals in trades including carpentry, drywall, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and welding to show the importance of craft education. 

ABC’s annual Construction Management Competition (CMC) will also take place March 19 in Salt Lake City. Here, 31 teams of students from colleges and universities with leading construction management programs will put their project management skills to the test by completing the same real-life construction project. 

At NCC, craft students and apprentices from across the U.S. demonstrate skills and safe work practices, competing for top honors. The NCC features 15 competitions with skills on display in 11 crafts. The championships also feature a team commercial competition with journey-level craft professionals from different trades working to complete a joint project. The competition includes a two-hour online exam and a six-hour practical performance test. 

CMC gives construction management students a glimpse into the real world of construction, as well as an opportunity to showcase their talents, providing them with valuable, resume-building experience. 

In addition to creating a learning opportunity, ABC says the competition fosters an environment that will bring out the best in each team, encourage dialogue among the students, build team spirit and heighten problem-solving skills as students rise to meet this challenge. 

ABC’s approach to workforce development has produced a network of ABC chapters across the country that offer more than 800 apprenticeship, craft, safety and management education programs—including more than 450 government-registered apprenticeship programs across 20 different occupations.