About 100 high school students from across southern Alberta cooked, built and designed for medals and prizes at the South West Regional Skills Canada competition at Lethbridge College.
Organized by Career Transitions, the event was an opportunity for students to demonstrate proficiency in 14 categories of skills ranging from automotive technology and carpentry to hairstyling and video production.
“This competition provides high school students experiential learning and a chance to push out of their comfort zones,” says Judy Stolk Ingram, executive director. “It also lets them demonstrate their skills under pressure and experience the value of professional development, as they get valuable feedback from industry experts and college faculty who judge their work.”
This past Saturday’s event featured 12 competitions that feed into the provincial skills competition, and two “challenge events” that aren’t yet part of the secondary school competitive program — heavy equipment technician and plumbing.
“We want students with an interest in those trades to have a chance to compete and we’re hoping one day they will be full-fledged competitive events,” adds Stolk Ingram.
Stolk Ingram notes representatives from business and industry also get involved as judges or through sponsorship. The competition was for students in Grade 10 through Grade 12.