Students achieve excellence in global competition.

At this year’s World Skills Competition in Kazan, in southwest Russia, which took place from August 22-27, a total of 1,700 young competitors from across the globe took part in a whole range of trades, ranging from Manufacturing and Engineering to, Information and Communication Technology, Construction and Building, Creative Arts and Fashion, Social and Personal Services and of course Transportation and Logistics.

With a gathered crowd of 150,000 spectators in the brand new, 800,000 square foot purpose-built facility, the pressure was on, as these talented individuals demonstrated their skills to a panel of expert judges as well as government, education and industry stakeholders.

Specific to the automotive trade and Canada, Jack Dupuis from Quebec won a silver medal for his heavy vehicle mechanical repair skills. Other Canadians that fared exceptionally well during the competition were Maggie Friesen, who scored an impressive 670 points in the Car Painting competition and also Pascal Dorion and Adam Sebastian, both of whom were awarded medals of excellence during the competition for automotive technology and A-1 welding skills respectively.

With an increasing need for talented people to enter into the technical trades, the World Skills competition gives today’s youth an opportunity to showcase their talents and lay the foundation for a promising and lucrative career path.

In Canada, provincial skills competitions will begin again next spring, with the next World Skills Contest to be held in 2021.