Apprentices compete in “Best of the Midwest” at Roofers Local 96’s training center.
Roofers Local 96 hosted the “Best of the Midwest” regional apprenticeship competition at its training center in Ham Lake this year, and the local union’s apprentices made good use of the home-site advantage.
Local 96 members placed first in all three divisions of the Aug. 22 competition, and seven Local 96 apprentices finished in the top four among competitors in their group.
First-place finishers in each division – Local 96’s Connor Engholm in Year 1, Ethan Block in Year 2 and Luke Selander in Year 3/4 – will advance to the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers’ national apprenticeship contest in Boston next May.
Other Local 96 award placewinners included:
- Montana Scepaniak-Eisenschenk, third place in Year 1.
- Jordan Angove, second place in Year 2.
- Dawn Plaisted, second place in Year 3/4.
- Evan Bloom, fourth place in Year 3/4.
For Local 96, it was the union’s first time hosting “Best of the Midwest,” although the Ham Lake facility did host the national apprenticeship competition last year.
The Midwest region includes 17 local unions, and 10 participated in this year’s competition. Local 96’s training facility, which opened in 2019, left an impression on staff from visiting unions.
“When I walked in, I was astonished,” Joshua Cavazos, business representative for Indiana-based Roofers Local 26, said. “It’s big, it’s immaculate. This is way more than any Roofers union could ask for.”
Third-year apprentice Dawn Plaisted of Roofers Local 96 is one of three women who competed in the Year 3/4 division of the regional competition.
Cavazos and other local leaders from the Midwest region gathered with competitors and their families for dinner in the training center the night before the competition. For many in the room, the camaraderie was what they looked forward to most about the annual event.
“The most important thing is the brotherhood – all the locals getting together for the greater good of the industry,” Local 20 organizer Pedro Parra, based in Kansas City, said. “It’s what sets us apart as a union – most roofers don’t get any of the training and support that we get as union members. That’s why it’s so important for these guys to come in and show off their skills.”
Parra might call it a brotherhood, but the number of female apprentices competing in “Best of the Midwest” has increased steadily in recent years.
Year 3/4 competitors included three women this year, with Local 96’s Plaisted among them. Plaisted took second in the region this year after advancing to the national competition last year – and winning it.
“Meeting all the new contestants, that’s really what I look forward to,” Plaisted said. “You always hope to win, but it’s just fun to see how you stack up.”
– Michael Moore, UA editor
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