KAMLOOPS –Thompson Rivers University (TRU) students Tim Eggers and Roko Huser won gold for their carpentry expertise at the virtual Skills Canada National competitions. Eggers and Huser hammered home the victory against carpentry students from across Canada.

Tim Eggers

Eggers is a third-year apprentice who won gold in the post-secondary carpentry category. Huser took TRU’s Residential Construction Foundation program and won gold in the secondary carpentry category. He still attends South Kamloops Secondary School, but took the foundation program through the Youth in Trades Training program.

Each year, students and apprentices compete at the regional, provincial and national levels. Competitors must win first place at the regionals to move up to the provincial competition, then they must place first at provincials to represent their province at the national competition.

“For years, TRU’s School of Trades and Technology has actively participated in the Skills Canada competitions for many of the trades that we offer. Typically, we have students compete in automotive service, carpentry, heavy mechanical, electrical, millwright, plumbing/piping, refrigeration, and welding,” said TRU Construction Trades Program Chair Thomas Haag.

Roko Huser

“Due to the pandemic, this year’s carpentry competition was held in a virtual format, with each competition site connected via Zoom. As our provincial winners were TRU students, our school became the host site for British Columbia.”

“I appreciate the opportunity to compete, it was a unique avenue to take in a trades career like carpentry. Getting a win feels very rewarding, the competition was stiff and I certainly never felt like I was far in the lead. There were some great competitors all over the province and country,” said Eggers.

“The competition was really fun, and I had an awesome experience. It’s crazy how much effort and time goes into putting something like this on,” said Huser.

“We are very proud that both our competitors struck Canadian Gold representing BC and TRU. It is a testament of the quality trades training provided at TRU and we congratulate Tim Eggers and Roko Huser in addition to their instructors Tim Kasten and Bryce Coombs for their incredible accomplishment,” said Haag.

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University Relations, Thompson Rivers University
Michele Young, Manager, Communications Content
University Relations, Thompson Rivers University
250-828-5361 | micyoung@tru.ca