Students from the Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) had a strong showing at the recent Skills Canada national competition in Halifax, and one of the students brought home a bronze medal.
Dalton Schrader finished third in welding at the competition, which was held from May 27 to 30.
Also travelling to Halifax were Morgan Lowenberg for architectural computer aided design and drafting (CADD), Jon Swirski (mechanical CADD) and Avery McNabb (hairstyling). Schrader, Swirski and McNabb reached nationals by winning the gold medal in their respective disciplines at provincials in April; Lowenberg won silver in her event.
Levi Stepp was selected to attend in architectural CADD after winning a provincial gold medal, but was unable to attend due to another commitment. Lowenberg went in his place.
Skills Canada started on May 27 with a safety orientation, registration and opening ceremonies. The next two days were reserved for competition, starting at 7 a.m. each day and going for six hours.
Awards were handed out and the closing ceremonies happened May 30.
“I think there was around 2,000 or 3,000 people there,” Schrader told the Mercury. “Just to see all of the trades and all of the kids competing in one big area, it was amazing to see.”
In the case of Schrader, he completed a project each day, with a lighthouse on the first day and a box with several different welds on the second.
“The lighthouse was the hardest part, just because there was a bunch of other stuff that you had to fit up, and it was at an angle rather than a square or a straight 90 (degree cut).”
When making the lighthouse, he started with the base metal, and then set up the walls, put on the base doors and added a balcony. And then he had to add a light at the top.
“It was much more different than a lot of the projects we had done. It was nice to do, it was fun to do. It was a little challenging at the start, getting a hand of everything.”
Everyone at nationals was very skilled, he said, and it came down to who could do their work the best. It’s a contrast from provincials, where there were a lot of skilled people, but a couple who weren’t at the same level as the rest of the field.
“I thought I had a realistic shot at a medal. I wasn’t really sure how it would all pan out. I wasn’t really worried about that. I was just there to do my best and see if I could come out with a medal.”
Schrader credited ECS welding teacher Mark Kroeker for helping him get ready for nationals. They spent a lot of time preparing, first for provincials and then for nationals. He was at school every morning at 7:30, and their practices ramped up after provincials.
“We were doing mostly every day of the week for six to eight hours. We probably put in close to 300 hours before nationals.”
Not only does Kroeker have the know-how to help Schrader prepare for nationals, he can adapt if something isn’t working right.
Kroeker said Schrader did very well throughout the competition.
“You’re competing against 10 of the best welders in high school across Canada,” said Kroeker. “The difference at that level is very minute.”
The students who come each year get better and better, and Kroeker said the finished products were amazing.
“It just boggled my mind how incredibly good some of these young welders are,” said Kroeker.
Kroeker said the school has had good results in welding at provincials over the years, but getting a provincial title was huge.
“The quality of welders of these young men and women who are showing their skills at the competition is just incredible,” said Kroeker. “I, myself… I couldn’t do this competition, because it is incredibly challenging and it’s incredibly mentally taxing and physically taxing.”
The other students from ECS who went to nationals all worked very hard and did very well, Kroeker said, as they also faced the tough level of competition associated with the national competition.
Schrader believes the experience of going to nationals will help a lot. It showed him what is going to happen when he goes into a career in welding, as he has an apprenticeship lined up with Average Joe’s Welding, where he currently works. He also realized the importance of making adjustments when everything doesn’t work out perfectly.
