Welder earns spot in world championship

The School of Trades and Technology added a gold and silver to the growing list of medals its won over the years at the different levels of the Skills Canada competition.

Welding student Andrew Christensen won gold and heavy equipment student student Jan Vogler won silver at the national championship in Moncton, NB this month to go with gold medals each won at Skills Canada BC in Abbotsford in April. Those performances in Abbotsford earned them berths to Moncton.

Christensen’s victory in Moncton earned him a spot in World Skills 2017 in Abu Dhabi, Oct. 14-19, where there will be 50 skill categories, 72 countries and regions and more than 1,200 competitors.

Due to the volume of competitors eligible for World Skills and the amount of planning required to host, the championships are held every two years and only those winning gold at national championships advance to World Skills. Like the Olympics and other high-profile events, host locations are announced years in advance, with Kazan, Russia the host city for 2019.

For a glimpse of trades’ past performances at Skills Canada, check out the banners hanging in the main entrance area of the trades building.