Skillz & Thrillz: Alberta's Trade & Tech Youth

In this episode, we sit down with Diego De Dominicis Barrios, gold medalist in Electronics Secondary at the 2025 Provincial Skills Canada Competition. His win earned him a spot on Team Alberta for the 2025 Skills Canada National Competition in Regina, Saskatchewan—where he also took home the Team Spirit Award alongside his Ernest Manning classmate, Amal Hussainy. Diego shares his inspiring Skills...

In this episode, we chat with Mikayla Hannesschlager, gold medalist in Bricklaying at the 2025 Provincial Skills Canada Competition and proud member of Team Alberta at the 2025 Skills Canada National Competition in Regina. Mikayla shares her journey into the skilled trades, growing up in a family of bricklayers and finding her own path in refractory work—carving a unique space in a field where her...

In this episode, we sit down with Rachel Turner, gold medalist at the 2018 Provincial Skills Canada Competition in Photography and bronze medalist at Nationals—as she shares her inspiring journey through the world of Skills competitions and beyond. Rachel opens up about the challenges she faced and the lessons she learned, including how overcoming self-doubt played a major role in her success. She...

 In this episode, we sit down with Zack Hartle, a Skills Canada Alberta alumnus, two-time gold medalist in Industrial Control, Electrical Trades Instructor at SAIT, and co-host of the Watts the Word podcast. Zack shares his inspiring journey from competing in Skills competitions to representing Canada at WorldSkills Germany, and how those experiences shaped his career path. Now a Provincial Techni...

In this episode, we sit down with Veronica Kjolberg, a proud Skills Canada Alberta alumna whose journey is nothing short of inspiring. Veronica competed in 2022 and 2023, capturing gold at the 2023 Skills Canada National Competition in Winnipeg. In 2024, she took her passion even further by representing Team Alberta at the Skills for Success Youth Assembly in Quebec. Veronica walks us through the...

In this episode, we’re taking a look back at some of the incredible advice shared by Skills Canada Alberta alumni featured in past episodes. Whether you're gearing up for the 2025 Provincial Skills Canada Competition or preparing for future competitions, these tips are here to help you feel confident, calm your nerves, and set you up for success on your skills journey. Remember, you’ve got th...

In our first-ever joint episode, we’re joined by Laine Van Hardeveld and Taylor Desjardins, two standout Skills alumni whose paths crossed in the most inspiring way. Laine, a Mechatronics and Millwrights competitor and Skills Canada Alberta’s 2024 Alumni of the Year, and Taylor, a Cabinet Making competitor who went on to represent Canada at WorldSkills Russia, share how their friendship began and...

In this episode, we sit down with Brittany Kellow, a Teaching Assistant at the Aesthetics Institute, whose Skills story began in 2018 with a creative special effects makeup demonstration in the Job Skill Demonstration competition. After refining her approach and simplifying her presentation the following year, Brittany struck gold—earning her a spot on Team Alberta and a trip to the 2019 Skills Ca...

In this episode, we sit down with Tim Wong, whose Skills journey began in high school and continued into post-secondary. In 2016, he competed at the Provincial Skills Canada Competition, placing 1st and earning a spot on Team Alberta. He went on to represent Alberta at the Skills Canada National Competition in New Brunswick.  Tim’s dedication to Skills didn’t stop there. In 2023, he was named Alum...

In this episode, we sit down with Amy Herndon, a Skills Canada Alberta alum whose passion for fashion has taken her from competition runways to film and television sets! Amy competed in Fashion Technology in 2012/2013, winning gold at the Provincial Skills Canada Competition and silver at Nationals in Vancouver. Since then, her career has evolved in incredible ways—starting with high-fashion runwa...

In this episode, we sit down with Tyler Cherkowski, a passionate and talented competitor in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. Tyler’s journey through Skills competitions has been nothing short of incredible—he won gold at the 2023 Provincial Skills Canada Competition, competed at Nationals, and represented Canada on the world stage at the 2024 WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France. Tyler share...

In this episode, we sit down with Sierrah Bennett, a gold medalist in video production at both the provincial and national Skills Canada competitions. Growing up in Lloydminster, Sierrah never let the size of her hometown define the scope of her dreams. She shares how she pushed past doubts, proved her talent on the Skills stage, and embraced the mindset that you can achieve anything you set your...

In this episode, we’re joined by the inspiring Lubna Ismail, a Public Speaking alumna who captivated audiences with her eloquence and energy. After earning silver at provincials, Lubna went on to achieve national success, winning gold at the 2024 Skills Canada National Competition in Quebec. Lubna shares her journey from competing on the provincial stage to excelling at the national level, offerin...

In today’s episode, we chat with Euan MacKinnon, a determined pipefitter whose journey through the Skills Canada competitions is nothing short of inspiring. After placing fourth at the 2023 National Skills Canada Competition in Winnipeg, Euan set his sights on gold—and achieved it at the 2024 Nationals in Quebec! Euan takes us through his experience learning his trade, the dedication it took to tr...

In this episode, we’re joined by the exceptionally talented Paisley Gatfield, an alumna who has mastered both the culinary and baking worlds. Paisley’s impressive competition history includes gold medals in both Culinary and Baking, as well as national accolades with a silver in Culinary and bronze in Baking. She shares her inspiring journey, revealing how these competitions ignited her passion an...

In this episode, we sit down with Ben Rainforth, a true champion in the world of welding and a WorldSkills Bronze Medalist. Ben shares his incredible journey, starting as a young attendee at WorldSkills Calgary, to winning bronze in Welding at WorldSkills Lyon in France. Discover how Ben transitioned from carpentry to welding, the rigorous training process, and the unforgettable experience of comp...

In this episode, we’re joined by Jacob Waldbillig, an Architectural Technology and Design powerhouse, who went from silver to gold at the Skills competitions and earned the incredible chance to compete nationally in Halifax. Now the chair of the Provincial Technical Committee and a proud member of the National Alumni Committee, Jacob is an ambassador for Skills Canada, guiding and inspiring new co...

In our first episode, we sit down with Chelsea Dyck, a former Skills Canada Alberta competitor in Industrial Control, now a Master Electrician, entrepreneur, and advocate for women in trades. Chelsea shares her inspiring journey from the Skills stage to founding her own company, where she teaches women home repair and renovation basics. As a member of the Provincial Technical Committee for Industr...