• Ohio SkillsUSA HVAC Champ to Competeat WorldSkills Event

    Dec. 5, 2012
    Kuhn completed an internship during his senior year at Gundlach Sheet Metal.

    Christopher Kuhn of Sheffield Lake, OH, and a former student of Lorain County JVS in Oberlin, OH, will represent the United States in Leipzig, Germany in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning competition during the biennial WorldSkills Competition. Kuhn will compete as a member of the United States “WorldTeam.” The 42nd international event will be held July 2-7, 2013.

    Kuhn won the right to compete by winning the silver medal in the Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration competition during the national SkillsUSA Championships in June 2011. He also successfully completed other qualifying prerequisites prior to being chosen for the team.

    Kuhn credits his teacher at the Lorain County JVS, David Morgan, with helping him to become interested in the Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) field. “I decided to attend the Lorain County JVS because I had an interest in the heating and air conditioning field from working with my father. I struggled with reading and writing, but my instructor, David Morgan, helped me to develop ways to retain the material I needed to learn and develop my skills. He also introduced me to the refrigeration side of the field. After that, I decided that I wanted to specialize in refrigeration.”

    “Chris Kuhn is a remarkable young man. He always gives a 110% on every task and constantly looks forward to new challenges, said David Morgan. “Together, Chris, I and his Lorain County JVS teachers worked on strategies for him to use that would help him to conquer his learning challenges which contributed to his success in the HVAC/R program. As a junior, he passed all of the Industry Competency Exams (ICE) in residential and commercial refrigeration and was a gold medalist in the Ohio SkillsUSA competition in both his junior and senior year. Chris now holds six of the NATE certifications and is a Level 5 Pro-Tech technician. Chris has worked hard to earn his success and is well-deserving of this honor. We are all very proud of him and his accomplishments!”

    Kuhn completed an internship during his senior year at Gundlach Sheet Metal as an HVAC/R technician and is also currently employed there. Roger Gundlach, the owner of Gundlach Sheet Metal said, when asked about Kuhn’s abilities to compete internationally, “Chris has an exceptional skill level for his age and takes advantage of every educational opportunity we offer him. He should be well prepared for this competition.”

    “I’m so excited about being selected to represent the U.S.A. in Germany at the WorldSkills Competition,” said Kuhn. “But, I do think my biggest challenge will be working with the metric system and the different electrical voltages that Germany uses.”

    In the WorldSkills Refrigeration and Air Conditioning contest, competitor’s skills are tested in: refrigeration pipe-work; electrical wiring; component and system installation; commissioning and adjustment; fault finding; repair and part replacement; refrigerant recovery and control; and, work practices and safety measures. Every two years, hundreds of young people from 53 member countries or regions compete in the prestigious WorldSkills Competition. Member countries include: Japan, England, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Brazil and many others. Considered “the best of the best,” contestants compete for four days in 45 occupational skill areas from economic sectors including manufacturing, information technology, transportation, construction and services. Accompanied by their teachers, trainers and industry technical committee experts, these young people compete before the public in contests that are run and judged by industry using demanding international standards.

    Over its 60-year history, WorldSkills International (formerly known as the "Skill Olympics") has come to symbolize the pinnacle of excellence in vocational training. It provides a unique means of exchange and comparison of world-class competency standards in the industrial trades and service sectors of the global economy. The continued growth of WorldSkills International attests to the fact that traditional trade and craft skills along with the newer technology multi-skilled occupations makes an essential contribution to the economic and social well being of people everywhere. In 2013, more than 1,000 competitors will test their skills in Leipzig, Germany.

    Five thousand international experts, delegates and judges will gather from around the world, and 3,000 volunteers will be recruited to assist in the event. A total of 150,000 student and public spectators will attend the competition at the Leipzig Trade Fair and Exhibition Center.

    For more information about the competition, go to: THIS LINK or THIS LINK. Christopher Kuhn is a member of SkillsUSA, the organization that represents the United States in the WorldSkills Competition. Competitors in WorldSkills must be under the age of 23. There will be a total of 20 members of WorldTeam.

    Other occupational areas in which the United States plans to compete include: autobody repair; automobile technology; beauty therapy; bricklaying; cabinetmaking; car painting; CNC milling; CNC turning; cooking; graphic design; hairdressing; IT networks systems administration; mechatronics (a two-person team contest); plumbing and heating; print media technology; restaurant service; web design; and welding.