SkillsBC and Spaghetti Bridge lined up for Friday

Okanagan College Media Release

Friday is shaping up to be a very busy day at Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus, as it plays host to the 33^rd annual Spaghetti Bridge building competition and the 20^th annual SkillsBC Regional Competition.

The Spaghetti Bridge building contest is expected to draw about 160 competitors from elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools, while the SkillsBC Regional Competition will draw more than 150 students from Grade 6 to 12 from throughout the region. That’s a record number of participants who will test their skills in everything from automotive service to culinary arts.

The SkillsBC and Spaghetti Bridge competitions draw students from Revelstoke to Oliver.

“This is a great day for school district students to test out their skills and abilities alongside others in their trade, in well-equipped shops with a healthy mix of excitement and stress,” explains Dianne Holm, the SkillsBC Regional Competition Co-ordinator. “Students benefit in many positive ways from this experience with the gold medalists qualifying to compete at the provincials in April.”

The competitions being run at the College include:

• Automotive Service
• Architectural Computer Aided Design
• Cabinet Making
• Carpentry
• Culinary Arts
• Electronics
• Mechanical Computer Aided Design
• Welding
• Jr. Skills – Gravity Vehicle race
• Jr. Skills – Spaghetti Bridge

“We also expect over 400 non-competitors to attend,” says Holm. “We supplement the day with an Explore the Trades event that offers tours of our shops and culinary arts kitchens, hands-on activities and the opportunity to use welding and paint simulators. Big White Resort will have a booth set up as will others from the community.”

“And, of course, everyone can pop their heads in to watch the Spaghetti Bridge contest as it unfolds.”

The pasta-focused event starts at 9:30 a.m. and wraps up at approximately 1 p.m. with awards for the heavyweight competitions. The full schedule can be found at Okanagan.bc.ca/spaghettibridge.

The SkillsBC Regionals and Explore the Trades events are made possible by the support from local businesses and Skills Canada BC, as well as a host of volunteers notes Holm. Information about the day is available online at Okanagan.bc.ca/skillsbc. The competitions and their ceremonies can be watched live online between 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at http://watchlive.okanagan.bc.ca/

Several organizations also support Spaghetti Bridge, including the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia.