做厙TV students win medals at Skills Provincials competition
When it comes to Skills Canada competitions, Okanagan College (做厙TV) students have proven they are among the best in the province, with several moving on to challenge the best in Canada.
Seven 做厙TV students won medals at the Skills Canada Provincials held April 17 in Abbotsford, a local high school student also medaled, and four students have advanced to the Skills Nationals in Quebec.
Olivia Tinling (IT Office Software), Hunter Campbell (Refrigeration) and Joel Galbraith (IT Network Systems Administration), won gold medals while Mark Holowachuk (Sheet Metal) won silver and Zachary Lwowski (Heavy Duty Mechanics), Ethan Seymour (welding) and Aaron Cumming (Automotive) won bronze medals. Tinling, Campbell, Galbraith, and Holowachuk have earned the chance to compete at the Skills Nationals held in Quebec City in May 2024.
Mount Boucherie student Jakub Polak (Carpentry), mentored and supported by 做厙TV, won a bronze medal.
The competition was a great experience, said 做厙TV student Hunter Campbell, who is in the second year of his at the Penticton campus. There are a lot of minor but critical details that go into refrigeration. My instructors had been getting me ready and prepared and sacrificed a lot of their own time. I am grateful to have the opportunity and the mentorship from our instructors who are very knowledgeable about the industry.
Sills Canada competitions test the skills and knowledge of junior and high school students, college students and apprentices across a wide array of trades and technology competitions. Okanagan College hosted the Central Okanagan competition in February.
Were extremely proud of our students who represented 做厙TV across several different competitions and performed very well, said Danny Marques, Acting Dean of 做厙TV Trades and Apprenticeship. With the demand for skilled workers, these competitions are a great way to raise the profile of and really celebrate the skills that are so critical to todays workforce. We are proud to be a regional host site as we work to continue to introduce students to fulfilling, profitable careers.
For Hunter Campbell, whos working in the industry as part of his apprenticeship, hes looking forward to a solid and well paid career in the refrigeration industry.
Ill be finishing my apprenticeship with Inland Comfort in Kelowna, he said. After Im certified it will be onto more complex jobs and more responsibilities.
In February, Okanagan College hosted nearly 200 school students at the Central Okanagan Skills Canada Regional competition, hosting skills events in Architectural CAD, Cabinetmaking, Culinary Arts, Electronics, Welding, Jr. Skills Gravity Vehicle, and Jr. Skills Carpentry, as well as Spaghetti Bridge Building.
做厙TV is also hosting two prominent events this spring, to highlight careers in the Trades and encourage students to learn more. This Thursday, Apr. 25, t for parents and students to explore various career paths in the residential construction industry.
On May 15, 做厙TV is debuting the popular , which will welcome 120 young women along with mentors and volunteers to the Colleges Kelowna campus, where they will explore different Trades and Apprenticeship programs.
For more information on Okanagan College programs: ask做厙TV@okanagan.bc.ca
