Regina, SK — The battle for the most skilled students and apprentices will go down in history at this year’s Skills Canada National Competition. Held on May 29 and 30, at the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. district, the yearly competition sees more than 500 participants compete in over 40 skilled trade and technology competitions.
The competitions will be spread across the following six skill areas: construction, employment, information technology, manufacturing/engineering, services, and transportation. The plumbing and HVAC sectors fall under the construction area.
During last year’s competition, the winners from the plumbing and HVAC/R sectors were Derek Lewis, refrigeration and air conditioning apprentice with Valley Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Ltd, Tyler Hayes, sprinkler fitter with UA Local 56 and Life Safety Systems, Jordan Mahon, plumbing category from Newfoundland and Labrador, and Euan MacKinnon, steamfitter and pipefitter category from Alberta.
The competition will also feature celebrity guests supporting participants. Shelley Homes, a contractor and TV personality, will attend the opening ceremony, while Arianna Dyck, Miss Rodeo Agribition Alumni 2023-2024 and welding apprentice, will share her journey and advice with visitors on both competition days.
Winners from selected skill areas in this year’s competition will be able to represent Canada at the 2026 WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China.
Every two years, approximately 1,500 competitors from over 70 member countries and regions compete in 62 skill areas representing these six sectors: manufacturing/engineering technology, information/communication technology, construction/building technology, transportation/logistics, creative arts/fashion, and social/personal services.
DeWalt was the official sponsor for this year’s competition. The tooling company has reached an agreement to sponsor the competition until 2027.
“It is a great honour to be part of the Skills Canada National Competition, providing so many talented competitors with professional-grade tools from DeWalt. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Skills/Compétences Canada and supporting the next generation of skilled tradespeople in Canada in the years to come,” said Matt Markowiak, director of marketing for DeWalt Canada.