June 26, 2015

Every year staff and faculty in the trades department at Medicine Hat College (MHC) coach, mentor, and advocate for the students preparing for the Provincial Skills Canada Competition (PSCC).  The competition is a two-day affair that has secondary and postsecondary students from across Alberta, competing in 44 trade and technical events.

And for the past eight years, students from the college have placed on the podium in multiple trades earning MHC a reputation as being a “force to be reckoned with.”

According to Keon Clift an instructor at the college, MHC is being recognized not only for their highly skilled competitors, but also as an institution that is helping to generate interest in the trades field through one-on-one interaction.

“Every year we meet as a department to decide how we are going to give students the opportunity to Try-a-Trade at the technology expo [associated with the Provincial Skills Competition].  MHC’s involvement helps high school students gain awareness of who we are without just handing out pens or pamphlets,” says Clift. “For the past three years, we’ve created projects that attendees get to work on and take-away. Our instructors have guided them through soldering a t-connector, building a tradesperson, and this year creating a lamp.”

Clift says that the reaction has exceeded their expectation. “We are gaining a reputation for having one of the best exhibits at the expo and every year we get to expand on it. This year, we had an instructor from the computer aided drafting and design program do a demonstration, where they did a 3D scan of the students and printed a photo that they could take home.”

Clift feels the success is due to the dedicated team that participates at the event and back on campus.  

“All members of the college’s trades and technologies department are involved, whether it's contributing ideas or covering activities and classes back on campus for those people who are running the Try-a-Trade booth,” says Clift. “We put a lot of time into preparing our students and planning our approach, but our competitors’ results and the response we get from visitors to the college’s display area show that it’s worth it.”

Quick Facts

MHC has had a strong presence at the skills competition. This year Justin Fisher a fourth year apprentice from the plumbing program took home gold at both provincials and nationals. Click here to read his story.

Past MHC Provincial Skills Canada Competition Standings

2006 Corey Brooks, Provincial Bronze (Plumbing)
2007 Darilyn Oerlemans, Provincial Silver (Plumbing)
2010 Jason Feyter, Provincial Silver (Plumbing)
2011 Jason Feyter, Provincial and National gold Champion (Plumbing)
2012 Jason Feyter, Provincial Silver (Plumbing)
2013 Landon Bierbach, Provincial Gold Champion (Welding)
2014 Justin Fisher, Provincial Silver (Plumbing)
2015 Tanner Tendler, Provincial Bronze (Heavy Equipment Technician)
2015 Ben Bellavance, Provincial Silver (Electrical)
2015 Justin Fisher, Provincial and National Gold Champion (Plumbing)