Students from our region are heading to nationals after strong performances at the Skills Canada Saskatchewan provincial competition in Saskatoon.
Jaxen Dudley of Eatonia, Walker Lowe of Kyle, Janiah Aguidan, and Jack Unger of the Swift Current Comprehensive High School earned gold medals in their respective categories and will represent Saskatchewan at the Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) taking place in Regina on May 29 and 30.
Dudley, a Grade 10 student with the Sask. Distance Learning Centre (DLC) competed in the IT Office Software Applications category. The event tested students’ abilities in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
“I had a set of instructions I had to follow using hidden features in each program,” said Dudley. “It was really focused on detail and following directions exactly.”
Dudley said he was excited but nervous to move on to nationals. The national competition will be spread across two days, with Word tasks on the first day and Excel and PowerPoint challenges on the second.
“They said it’s kind of like the Olympics for school,” he said. “There are team meetings, opening and closing ceremonies, and even a Riders game.”
Dudley competed virtually through the DLC but attended the provincial event at Saskatoon Polytechnic in person. He will be among secondary-level students from across the country competing in Regina later this spring.
Also advancing to nationals is Walker Lowe, a Grade 9 student at Kyle Composite School, who won gold in the Workplace Safety category.
“It was fun,” said Lowe. “We had to identify hazards in pictures, analyze real shops for safety risks, and do a presentation on a safety topic. I chose youth safety on the farm.”
This was Lowe’s first time competing, although he attended the national competition in Vancouver in 2022 as a spectator. His mother, Cindy Lowe, is a longtime business education teacher and Skills Canada advocate who has taken students to provincial and national events for more than a decade.
“She’s been involved for years and encouraged me and my brother to try it,” Lowe said. “I thought it looked really cool, so I gave it a try.”
Lowe said he’s looking forward to the national event, though he knows the competition will be tough.
“I’m very excited but also a little nervous,” he said. “There’ll be kids from all over Canada competing in the same skill.”
Cindy Lowe said Skills Canada is a valuable way to connect students with trades and technology careers.
“It’s all about pathways to high-demand, employable careers,” she said. “And it opens their eyes to real opportunities — sometimes with training paid for by industry partners.”
At the provincial competition, students observed and participated in a wide range of categories, including welding, hairstyling, carpentry, robotics, photography, and more. Industry booths were also on display, with companies like SaskTel and Finning CAT offering hands-on activities and career information.
Both Dudley and Lowe said they were impressed by the diversity of trades and career paths presented at the event.
“You could see how these skills lead to real jobs,” said Dudley. “It was exciting just to be part of it.”
Janiah Aguidan of the SCCHS won gold in the Fashion Technology category, while Jack Unger earned gold in Car Painting.
The SCNC is Canada’s only national, multi-trade, and technology competition for students and apprentices. More than 500 participants will compete in over 40 categories, with thousands of visitors expected to attend the event at the Viterra International Trade Centre in Regina.
While school group tickets are sold out, the event is open to the public and includes more than 50 Try-A-Trade® activities and industry exhibits.
More information about the competition is available at skillscompetencescanada.com.
