TRU Trade and Technology students Mike Gatey, Jonathan MacIntyre and Evan Butchart.

Three Thompson Rivers University students are among the country’s top trades and technology students, bringing home gold and silver medals from the National Skills Canada competition.

After winning the annual Skills BC competition in April the three went on to compete with at the National Skills Canada competition held in Calgary last week; Jonathan MacInytre won gold in automotive, post-secondary; Mike Gatey, gold in carpentry, secondary and Evan Butchart, silver in welding, post-secondary.

Ralph Finch, Dean School of Trades and Technology, is extremely proud of his students’ achievements. “This is an incredible result for our students and our instructors. Not only have these students won top honours for their trades in Canada, next year they qualify for the World Skills competition next year.”

For Residential Construction transitions student Mike Gatey, the gold medal winner in the secondary division, the buzz of 500 high school and post secondary students from all regions of Canada competing in over 40 trade and technology events did little to distract him from the task at hand “to turn a pile of materials into a playhouse in 14 hours.

“I knew what to expect from the provincials, Calgary was set up the same way,” Gatey said. It also didn’t hurt that the competition was in Cowtown, a city he called home just three years ago.

About to graduate from South Kamloops Secondary, Gatey has six weeks left in his trade transition program at TRU and is confident earning gold provincially and nationally will help him land a plum apprenticeship with a local construction company. After three more years at TRU he’ll become a journeyed carpenter. His ultimate goal is to have his own construction company.

Next year, he’ll be back in Calgary competing against 38 other countries in the World Skills event as a post-secondary student.

Although Jonathan MacIntyre’s age will make him ineligible to compete at the world’s next year, being crowned the best automotive student in Canada confirms that his decision to switch from computer sciences to automotive technician was the right one.

“The competition was challenging and nerve wracking,” the 22-year-old from Lytton said. “There was no way to get through all the problems they presented, but that was part of the competition, telling the judges how you’d solve the problem if you had the time.”

With 6,000 more hours of work experience and some time back at TRU to complete his trade qualifications, MacIntyre’s goal is to set up his own automotive shop.

For more information contact:

• Ralph Finch, Dean, School of Trades & Technology, (p) 250-828-5125