As a child, Braden McAlpine loved helping his grandmother maintain an apartment building she owned. By middle school, he knew: His future was going to be in the trades.
In high school, Braden began exploring the trades, taking framing, electrical, and masonry classes at Concord Regional Technical Center and then a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) class at Manchester Community College. At that point, he says, he “got hooked” and jumped at the opportunity to take part in an HVAC pre-apprenticeship program offered by Apprenticeship New Hampshire (ApprenticeshipNH). As part of that program, Braden job shadowed at three different companies, including MSI Mechanical Systems,
Inc., a full-service mechanical contractor based in Salem. “As soon as I started with MSI, I knew I wanted to be with them. The company is amazing. The people are great. I wanted the opportunity to work with the whole team,” Braden says.
Braden got his chance in his senior year of high school when Brian Hooper, Vice President of Operations at MSI, offered him an apprenticeship. Braden graduated and moved right into an HVAC apprentice position installing heating and cooling units.
Braden loves working with MSI Mechanical. “The whole apprenticeship path for me has been amazing. I knew I wanted to do something hands-on and here I am.”
Braden was so excited about this apprenticeship opportunity that when the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) created its National Youth Leadership Council in 2023, Braden applied and was 1 of just 15 young people across the county who were selected to join. Braden says he applied because “. . . I want to be part of an effort to get the word out there about the value of apprenticeships.”
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Publish Date: 05/07/2024