Once again Northwood Technical College is celebrating the experience and success of two apprentices earning gold and silver at the National Craft Championships (NCC) held in San Antonio, Texas. Tony Ehrike received a silver medal while Drew Hawkins received a gold medal, both in Carpentry. Hawkins also received a safety award in Carpentry at the competition. Hawkins had previously won gold at the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin Skill Competition for 2022.
Ehrike and Hawkins are both apprentices employed by Royal Construction out of Eau Claire. The ABC Carpentry Apprenticeship Program at Northwood Tech is run in partnership with ABC of Wisconsin to provide opportunities where apprentices receive classroom instruction and on-the-job training increasing their skills and wages. Registered apprenticeship is a career path mutually beneficial to the apprentice and their employer.
In response to the impressive national placements for both Hawkins and Ehrike, Northwood Tech President John Will stated, “Apprenticeship is such a great way to learn, and we’re extremely proud of these students for representing our program at such a high level.”
Sharing the same sentiment toward the apprentice’s work ethic and impressive national wins, Eric Lockwood, Director, Apprenticeship and Academies at Northwood Tech stated, “Royal Construction is a strong supporter of the ABC Carpentry Apprenticeship at Northwood Tech and the achievement of Ehrike and Hawkins reflects the excellent on-the-job training that apprentices receive at their company.”
Lockwood further explained that the success of students was also due to the instruction of Scott Theilig, also an instructor for the two-year Construction and Cabinetmaking Program at Northwood Tech. Lockwood declared, “This is a phenomenal achievement and speaks to the high-quality instruction Scott provides in the classroom. Scott is top notch, and so are his apprentices."
To read the news release by ABC of Wisconsin for the national competition accomplishments of Ehrike and Hawkins, visit here.
Northwood Tech is grateful to all its community partnerships. Your support of the Northwood Tech Foundation is essential to student success. For information on how to contribute, visit www.northwoodtech.edu/donate.
A nationally top-ranked college and a designated Silver 2022-23 Military Friendly School, Northwood Tech serves the educational and career needs of more than 15,000 residents of Northwestern Wisconsin each year. With multiple campuses, Northwood Tech offers career-focused associate degree programs, technical diplomas, short-term certificates, customized business training, and a wide array of courses for personal or career enrichment. Northwood Tech is a member of the Wisconsin Technical College System and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org). For more information, call 800.243.9482 or visit northwoodtech.edu. Northwood Technical College is an Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer and Educator.
[Photo via ABC Wisconsin]
Last Update: Apr 04, 2022 10:27 am CDT
