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Camosun plumbing apprentice wins national gold!
June 11, 2010
Gold rings for golden performance: 2010 national champion Landon Martin with 2009 champion Alasdair Reid (and former Camosun Apprentice).
Congratulations to Landon Martin, the new national champion plumbing apprentice! Martin is a fourth year plumbing apprentice with plumbing and heating contractor, M. Griffin Ltd. and has been attending Camosun College for his required technical training each year.
This is the second year in a row for a Camosun apprentice to take the top Canadian title. Camosun apprentice Alasdair Reid won the title in 2009.
To qualify for the national competition, hosted by the, United Association in Canada, (UA) Martin first had to win the Western Regional competition held in Edmonton April 21-23, 2010. The national competition was then held June 1-3, again in Edmonton, where he defeated the two top apprentices from the central and eastern regions.
Landon Martin with instructor Jamie McPherson.
“We have a great set of teachers at Camosun,” says Martin. “They really helped me build the foundation and skills I needed to go up against the best in Canada.”
“We’re extremely proud of what Landon has accomplished,” says Jamie McPherson, instructor in Camosun’s Plumbing and Pipe Trades department. McPherson travelled to Edmonton as Martin’s faculty mentor and in his capacity as training coordinator for UA Local 324. “He’s a very dedicated student, always looking for the best way to do things. It’s no surprise that his get-it-done attitude has paid off in this prestigious competition.”
Both the western regional and national competitions included a theory component plus many practical hands-on projects. For coming out on top, Martin received a gold ring, coveralls, red wing boots, safety equipment, shirts, and $500 cash.
Next up: Canada vs USA
As the Canadian national champ, Martin’s next stop will be the international competition, scheduled for August 8-12 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Representing 9,500 Canadian plumbing and pipe trades apprentices and 40,204 journeymen who make up the United Association in Canada (UA), he will be up against five districts in the United States that make up the rest of the UA, where there are more than 31,600 apprentices and 250,000 journeymen.
“I’ve heard it’s a lot more intense,” says Martin, when asked about the international competition. “I’ll do my best, and we’ll just have to see what happens. I’m looking forward to meeting a bunch of people from across North America, all in the plumbing trade, and learning some of their tricks of the trade.”
As an apprentice, Martin is working toward the goal of becoming a Red Seal journeyman. He has all the required work hours logged, and is scheduled to come back to Camosun in September for his final eight weeks of training. After that, he’ll be able to write the Inter Provincial exam that’s needed for the journeyman credential.
“Plumbing is definitely a career, not just a job,” says Martin. “I’d encourage any young person to think about it. If you’re prepared for hard work and don’t mind getting your hands dirty once in a while, it pays better than a lot of other trades. And there will be lots of opportunities with all the retirements coming up.”
Congratulations Landon Martin, and good luck at the international competition in August!
Last updated: June 11, 2010 10:08 am
