Lethbridge College apprentice bags gold at National Skills competition

He joined after he was convinced and encouraged by his uncle, a carpentry instructor.

Mandin was also encouraged by Jeremy Bridge, a plumbing instructor, who became his coach for this year’s competitions.

“Jeremy pulled me aside one day and said, ‘hey, do you want to compete in Skills?” said Mandin. “I was like, oh, I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it. Then my uncle convinced me. I’ve only been on the tools for 2.5 years. It was a massive learning curve, and there are still days where I know I have a lot to learn, but I’m glad that it went as well as it did.”

Bridge said he admired Mandin’s commitment in preparation for the competition. He said Mandin “was working nearly 12-hour days before coming in for three more hours of practice three nights a week.”

“It is so great to see his dedication be rewarded with medals at both competitions,” said Bridge.

The national team, including Mandin, would then go on to compete at the WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 competition in October. However, a May 31 release announced the cancellation of the competition due to the current lockdowns in Shanghai, China.

Mandin said that Team Canada promised to send the team somewhere to train or compete in a different competition. Thus, they will continue to train throughout the summer.

Other Lethbridge College competitors also won medals in the national competition in their respective categories.

Automotive Systems student Tyson Rasmussen and Heavy Vehicle Technology apprentice Danny Peeters won bronze medals. Peeters was also the national gold medalist last year in his category.

“We’re so proud of all of the students who represented Lethbridge College at the Skills competitions, and we were thrilled to see Josh, Tyson and Danny do so well,” says Sheldon Anderson, Dean of the Centre for Trades at Lethbridge College. “We also appreciate the instructors who served as coaches this year, including Jeremy Bridge (plumbing), Eric Mitchell (automotives) and Walter Michel (heavy equipment). They gave so much time outside of class to help their students be as prepared as they could be.”

According to Lethbridge College, Mandin is the third from their school to win gold at Skills Canada. In addition to his win this year and Peeters’ win in 2021, Nathaniel deWilde won in the Heavy Equipment Technician category in 2015.

SCNC is Canada’s only national, multi-trade, and technology competition for students and apprentices.

The non-profit organization says that SCNC provides hands-on work experiences related to skilled trade and technology careers by providing a forum where young Canadians can compete nationally.

by Mario Cabradilla

Lethbridge College apprentice bags gold at National Skills competition

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