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WHAT'S HAPPENING? |
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They've won again - against some of the best electricians on the West Coast! IBEW 684 - NorCal NECA announced today that one of
its electricians, Thomas Ludwig of Modesto, has taken top honors at the Western States Electrical Contest. It marks the third time in the past four years that one of 684's journeymen has won the first place
award in the highly competitive contest. Held in Medford, Oregon on September 19th, the Western States Electrical Contest pitted 24 new journeymen against each other in several competitive events.
The contestants came from seven western states, including California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Nevada, Idaho, and Utah. |
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Thomas Ludwig of Modesto, competing in the Western States Electrical Contest. |
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The participants were judged in residential wiring, motor control, l/2" rigid conduit and l/2" EMT conduit. A written test and part
identification were also included, with Ludwig turning in the best overall performance. Ludwig's win is even more remarkable because he competed against electricians from very large locals, including Los Angeles and San
Jose. Ludwig is employed by Industrial Electrical of Modesto.Billy Powell, Business Manager of IBEW Local 684, said that it was "huge" for Modesto to win three out of the last four years. "I'm very proud of Tom and all of our journeymen and apprentices," Powell said. "The IBEW and our NECA contractors work very hard to insure that our electrical workers are highly trained
and highly skilled." Jim Hodge, Vice President of Construction at Industrial Electrical, said the company is very proud to have one of its journeymen win the event. He praised Ludwig for his work
ethic and his eagerness to learn. "As an apprentice at the Central Valley Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (CVJATC), he put in over 11,800 training hours, which is almost 4,000 hours more than the
requirement of 8,000 hours," said Hodge. "I also want to add that Industrial Electrical has an excellent training program and all of the foreman worked with Tom to make him a very qualified young man." Despite his win, Tom Ludwig said the competition was very difficult. "You're competing against a very strong field," he said. "My extensive training really helped me to have the skills I needed to
compete." He credited the Central Valley JATC and the foremen at Industrial Electrical with teaching him the skills he needed to compete. Ludwig's career aspirations include a hope to advance in
the electrical industry and become a project manager. |
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