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Barriere, Clearwater competitors shine at Skills Canada provincials in B.C.

North Thompson Valley student provincial skills champions head to the Canadian National Skills Competition in Winnipeg

Barriere Secondary School senior, Logan Jones is headed to Winnipeg for the Skills Canada National Championships for Secondary School Carpentry on May 25 and 26, having won the gold medal in the Skills B.C. Provincial Championships on April 19 in Abbotsford.

“I was pretty nervous when showing at the venue but once I started the confidence came back,” Jones said. “I definitely have to work at it. It’s not easy. My arm was getting pretty sore by the end from all of the hammering.”

Jones expressed his excitement as he anticipates competing at a national level in Winnipeg soon.

“It’s a cool experience.”

The Skills Canada National Competition is the only national, multi-trade and technology competition for students and apprentices in Canada. Over 550 competitors from all over the country participate in over 40 skilled trade and technology events during the competition.

These provincial and national events motivate students towards future skilled trades and technologies career choices as they explore a wide variety of exhibitor booths, participate in the Try-A-Trade and Technology activities and interact with industry professionals.

Travelling with Logan to Winnipeg will be a Clearwater Secondary 2022 graduate, Matthew Lavingne,who also won a provincial gold medal in the Post Secondary Carpentry category.

Thompson Rivers University carpentry instructor, Tim Kasten, has been mentoring Jones and Lavingne to fine-tune their carpentry skills in preparation for the competition in Winnipeg.

This year’s national skills competition theme is: Embracing Adaptability: Navigating Change in the Skilled Trades and Technologies. Some key presentations will centre around diversity, recruiting and retention and sustainability. There will also be a showcase featuring First Nations, Inuit and Métis skills along with the Empowering Women in Trades initiative.