APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR CONTEST

Annual Contest: Proudly Celebrating each Local's Finest

Starting in 1987 – under the leadership of then Coordinator David Dupuis – the NE Area Apprenticeship Program began annually acknowledging each Local Lodge’s most accomplished apprentice.

Every spring, we invite a representative from each Local Lodge/Zone to participate in a series of rigorous work-related tests. At the conclusion of the testing, both the highest scoring candidate and runner-up advance to the prestigious Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Contest.

Since our Contest inception, the NE Area has made the presentation of our top award in honor of the late John J. Harrington. John, who from 1969–1985 was employed as our Area’s first Apprenticeship Coordinator, was distinguished for his career-long dedication to teaching and training. It is our sincere hope that this special award serves as a remembrance and celebration of an individual whose life was unselfishly devoted to the labor movement.

For the fourth consecutive year, the 2024 Contest is scheduled to be held at the David Dupuis Regional Training Center located in East Hartford, CT on June 3-7, 2024.

The John Cammuso Excellence in Rigging Award - Honoring a Legacy

In 2013, the Northeast Area introduced a new award honoring John Cammuso. John was an outstanding rigging engineer and overall exemplary human being who sadly passed away in January 2019.

For almost 30 years, John was the individual responsible for designing the rigging exercise for our Contest; and served as a dedicated rigging judge during both the Area and National competitions.

In addition to his selfless duties with our Contest, representing Babcock Power Inc., John served for decades as an Administrative member of the Northeast Area Board of Trustees and sat on the Boilermakers National Apprentice Program Board as well.

Simply put, our Program would not be what it is today without John’s many contributions.

The recipient of the ‘John Cammuso Excellence in Rigging Award’ is the Apprentice attaining the highest total rigging exercise score during the NE Area’s annual Contest.

Past ‘John Cammuso Excellence in Rigging Award’ winners include:

2013 – Michael Cefaratti, Local Lodge No. 28
2014 – Justin Nadeau, Local Lodge No. 29
2015 – Ernest Olavage, Local Lodge No. 13
2016 – Max Smith, Local Lodge No. 154
2017 – James Hynes, Local Lodge No. 154
2018 – Joshua Roupe, Local Lodge No. 154
2019 – Kyle Fabin, Local Lodge No. 154
2020 – Jacob Larrabee, Local Lodge No 5, Zone 175
2021 – Joseph MacKay, Local Lodge No. 13
2022 – Benjamin Kolosky, Local Lodge No. 237
2023 – Thomas McNeil, Local Lodge No. 237

Past Contest Winners - In memory of John J. Harrington

1987 – Richard Martin, Local Lodge No. 5
1988 – Anthony DeFrancesco Jr.*, Local Lodge No. 237
1989 – Joseph Bartolacci*, Local Lodge No. 13
1990 – James Sigovich, Local Lodge No. 13
1991 – Rory Smith, Local Lodge No. 154
1992 – Daniel Tenhagen*, Local Lodge No. 7
1993 – Daniel DeCarlo, Local Lodge No. 7
1994 – Michael Hess, Local Lodge No. 7
1995 – Joseph Murray, Local Lodge No. 154
1996 – Kevin Sharland, Local Lodge No. 29
1997 – Bernard Nowak III, Local Lodge No. 13
1998 – Robert Dolce, Local Lodge No. 7
1999 – Paul Hendershot, Local Lodge No. 7
2000 – Robert Hummel, Local Lodge No. 7
2001 – George Taylor III, Local Lodge No. 28
2002 – Jeffrey Horton, Local Lodge No. 28
2003 – Christopher Darnell, Local Lodge No. 154
2004 – Mark Solomon, Local Lodge No. 154
2005 – Steve Beatty, Local Lodge No. 154
2006 – Rex Pears, Local Lodge No. 154
2007 – John Williamson, Local Lodge No. 154
2008 – Donald Goodwin, Local Lodge No. 154
2009 – Michael Toth, Local Lodge No. 237
2010 – Jeffrey Nasta, Local Lodge No. 5, Zone 5
2011 – Brandon Dunlevy, Local Lodge No. 154
2012 – Daniel Spencer, Local Lodge No. 7
2013 – Mark Felschow, Local Lodge No. 7
2014 – Arthur Kling III, Local Lodge No. 13*
2015 – Thomas Pelto, Local Lodge No. 29
2016 – Max Smith, Local Lodge No. 154
2017 – James Hynes, Local Lodge No. 154
2018 – Joshua Roupe, Local Lodge No. 154
2019 – Jacob Weber, Local Lodge No. 5, Zone 7
2020 – Justin Dilts, Local Lodge No. 154
2021 – Joseph MacKay, Local Lodge No. 13
2022 – Benjamin Kolosky, Local Lodge. No. 237
2023 – Joseph Hayes, Local Lodge No. 13

*Indicates Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Contest Winner