More than 500 elementary and high school students gathered at Okanagan College Friday for the Skills Canada Trades and Technologies regional competition.

Students from Revelstoke to Oliver competed in 11 different skills contests.

“Okanagan College is the perfect host for this exhibition of student talents,” said Norm Letnick, MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country. “With work underway on a new $33-million trades training complex, local students will be able to keep sharpening those skills and exploring the career paths open to them.”

The competition, one of 13 taking place across British Columbia, provided a platform for students from Grades 6 to 12 to showcase their talents.

Students had the opportunity to learn from industry professionals and got hands-on experience.

“These events are great because they directly involve representatives of industry,” said Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson. “This helps keep training relevant to employers’ needs, and also gives students very constructive feedback directly from experts in the field.”