Tech Senior Mitchel Wins Gold; Has Job after June Graduation

CREST HAVEN – Jacob T. Mitchel, a senior at Cape May County Technical High School, won gold in the Skills USA NJ HVACR competition at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset County April 8.
The competition included the top students from all participating HVACR Technical High Schools in the state and was an all-day competition, according to a release.
Students had to troubleshoot high and low voltage electrical problems, diagnose mechanical faults, check refrigerant charges and pressures in air conditioners and refrigeration units as well as air speeds.
The competitors also built a timed project which had to be built to exact blueprint specifications. It included copper tubing bends, flares, swages, sweating, brazing, and pressure testing. There was also an HVACR content test.
Mitchel excelled during his time in the HVACR and Sustainable Energy Program at Cape May Tech.
Craig Migliaccio, Mitchel’s teacher, said, “For Jacob the adage is true. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they walk. Do they walk with a purpose or not?
“In my shop room, Jacob always walked with his purpose in mind, planning out his goals for the day, thinking about the next steps he needed to take to diagnose a problem or build an HVACR system.
“It was always important for Jacob to memorize the codes, safety, and procedures being taught and he applied them in the shop.” Mitchel will be graduating in June and has been hired to work for “Celtic Air” Heating, Plumbing, and Air Conditioning of Court House upon graduation.
Highly-skilled students of the HVACR and Sustainable Energy Program are presently interviewing at local HVACR companies in Cape May County to go right to work after graduating.
Owners of local companies share their experience in the classroom. Shelton Marsden of Marsden Electric, Joe Maloney of Maglione General Contracting and formally of J. Maloney and Son’s Heating and Cooling spoke with students on points of interest in the field.
Walt Freas from Harry Eklof and Associates, representing tool manufacturers Irwin, Hilmor, Ward, and Lenox congratulated Mitchel with a tool bag for his accomplishment in winning gold.
Torlough Cormican of Celtic Air hosted a field trip to Celtic Air’s shop and three local job sites.
Audubon Plumbing Supply of Court House also hosted and gave a tour for students.
Students have the chance to earn multiple field recognized licenses and certifications such as the EPA 608 Universal Refrigerant License, R-410a Safety Certification, OSHA 10hr Construction Certification, as well as CSST Tubing Certifications for gas line installations.