Kamloops welding student snags top spot at Skills Canada competition

KAMLOOPS – A Thompson Rivers University welding student has won gold at the Skills Canada National Championship, after clinching the provincial title earlier this year.

Andrew Christensen, 20, represented B.C. in the Moncton, N.B., competition, where one person from each province was selected to participate. 

Christensen's sister Kelli says he will now be heading to the world championship in Abu Dhabi next year.

In a publication earlier this year, the university said more than 500 post-secondary and high school students compete in more than 40 skilled trades and technology categories in the Skills Canada competition.

That includes aerospace technology, automotive service, brick masonry, carpentry, culinary arts, electrical installations, fashion technology, graphic design, hairstyling, industrial mechanic/millwright, IT network systems, landscape gardening, machining, pipe fitting, refrigeration and air conditioning, and sheet metal work.

Another local university student, Jan Vogler, competed in the heavy equipment service competition, and finished in second place at the national level.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ashley Legassic or call 250-319-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.