Celebrating the Northern California Valley and Modesto Area Sheet Metal Workers’ Class of 2026

Northern California Valley and Modesto Area Sheet Metal Workers recognize 17 new journeypersons at annual Turn Out Dinner

On August 22, 2026, the Sacramento and Modesto regions proudly strengthened their skilled and trained workforce as the Northern California Valley and Modesto Area Sheet Metal Workers’ Apprenticeship Class of 2026 celebrated the completion of their apprenticeship programs. The annual Turn Out Dinner recognized years of classroom instruction, hands-on training, field experience, and personal dedication.

Although the Class of 2026 was relatively small due to disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of the graduates’ accomplishment was no less meaningful. Each new journeyperson completed a demanding apprenticeship designed to develop the technical knowledge, practical skills, professionalism, and work ethic required to succeed in the sheet metal and HVAC industries.

Celebrating an Important Career Milestone

The evening included remarks from apprenticeship, industry, and state representatives who each offered a different perspective on the significance of completing a registered apprenticeship.

Jason Ferguson with the International Training Institute (ITI) addressed the graduates on behalf of an organization that supports education and training throughout the unionized sheet metal industry.

Staci Teegarden, Apprenticeship Consultant with the California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Apprenticeship Standards, emphasized the importance of the graduates’ accomplishment and the significance of completing a registered apprenticeship and entering the workforce as fully trained journeypersons.

Gary Myers, Vice President of Intech Mechanical and a member of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee, spoke about the importance of reaching this milestone while reminding graduates that their development does not end with apprenticeship. He encouraged them to continue learning, improving their skills, and striving to be the best throughout their careers.

Mitch Koch, Apprenticeship Training Coordinator for the Modesto Area Sheet Metal JATC, reflected on the opportunity to watch the graduates expand their knowledge and abilities throughout the program and recognized their progression from new apprentices into skilled and dependable journeypersons prepared to take on greater responsibilities within the industry.

Recognizing Excellence

In addition to recognizing all 17 graduates, several apprentices received special awards for their accomplishments throughout the program.

Perfect Attendance Awards were presented to Eric Dowd, Andre Perzhu, Alexander Giroux, and Nicolas O’Neill, recognizing the commitment required to maintain perfect attendance while balancing employment, classroom instruction, hands-on training, and personal responsibilities.

Three graduates received Outstanding Student Awards representing different areas of the apprenticeship program. Alexander Giroux was recognized as the Outstanding Sheet Metal Student, Sergio Meza as the Outstanding Modesto Student, and Hunter Cannon as the Outstanding Service/TAB Student.

Nicolas O’Neill received the Top of the Class Award, recognizing him for achieving the best GPA among the graduating class.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026

The Modesto Area JATC recognized three graduates: Sergio Meza, Kyle Kroeker, and Kenneth Wooden.

The Northern California Valley JATC recognized 14 graduates: Jonathan Reed, Nicolas O’Neill, Spenser Smith, Scott Strausser, James Silack, Andre Perzhu, Casey Wilcox, Eric Dowd, Hunter Cannon, Dawson Hammes, Alexander Bushnell, Alexander Giroux, Jeremy Wooning, and Jimmy Chavez.

The graduates completed their apprenticeships while working for Local 104 signatory contractors, including Air Systems Service and Construction, Air Systems Inc., BOS Sheet Metal, Champion Industrial, DDK, DKM, EMCOR, Frank M. Booth, Intech Mechanical, NABCO, Nicro Inc., Ram Mechanical, and Southland. These contractors played an essential role by providing employment, mentorship, supervision, and the real-world experience necessary for apprentices to develop into qualified journey-level workers.

Building the Skilled Workforce of the Future

The new journeypersons are prepared to meet the increasingly technical needs of the Sacramento and Modesto communities. Their careers may include welding, commercial and residential HVAC, system service and troubleshooting, Testing, Adjusting and Balancing, architectural sheet metal, fabrication, detailing, and Building Information Modeling. The apprenticeship program combines classroom education with hands-on and field training across these specialized areas, preparing members to work with both established construction practices and rapidly advancing building technologies.

Their achievement also reflects the combined commitment of labor, management, participating contractors, the Joint Apprenticeship Committees, instructors, training center staff, and industry partners who support apprenticeship and workforce development.

Completing an apprenticeship is a major accomplishment, but becoming a journeyperson is not the end of the learning process. It marks the beginning of the next stage of a career built on continued education, leadership, craftsmanship, professionalism, and the responsibility to pass knowledge and skills on to the next generation.

We congratulate all 17 members of the Northern California Valley and Modesto Area Sheet Metal Workers’ Class of 2026 and look forward to the work they will perform while serving the Sacramento and Modesto regions for decades to come.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 — Together we do it better.