Hundreds participate in Skills Canada Alberta competition

High school and post-secondary students from across the province have gathered in Edmonton for a provincial competition that is being hailed as the “Olympics for kids who love trades and technology.” Skills Canada Alberta’s communications manager, Victoria Anderson, expressed excitement over the event, which features 700 students competing in 45 different trade and technology areas.

The competition, established in 1992, is part of a national organization that aims to promote careers in skilled trades and technology to youth. Anderson emphasized the importance of investing in Alberta’s future workforce through events like this, with support from government, industry, and education partners.

Throughout the two-day event, students have the opportunity to network with industry professionals who are not only showcasing career options but also recruiting for future talent. Troy Wielgus, a lead instrumentation engineer at CNRL’s Horizon site, showcased robot dogs used for gas detection in the oil sands, highlighting the students’ coding skills in the project.

The winners of the provincial competition will have the chance to represent Alberta at the Skills Canada National Competition in Quebec City, with scholarships available for post-secondary students to compete at the World level. Some competitors from Alberta will even travel to France in September to represent Canada on the global stage.

Overall, the event serves as a platform for students to showcase their skills, network with industry professionals, and potentially kickstart their careers in the trades and technology sectors.