Marjoie Gibas and Trevor Walld are just two of the RRC Polytech students who took home medals in their competitions.

Over 450 students from schools across the province, including 130 Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) students, took part in this year’s Skills Manitoba Provincial Competition on April 11.

Students competed in over 40 skilled trades and technology categories across six industry sectors. Many of the competitions were hosted at RRC Polytech campuses with others being held at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology and Sisler High School.

The Skills Manitoba Competition challenges students to test the skills they’ve learned in their chosen trades and technology programs in a series of hands-on challenges. The competitions were supported by over 300 volunteers.

In this year’s competitions, 51 RRC Polytech students won medals – 18 gold, 18 silver and 15 bronze. Students took home all the medals in 12 categories including CNC Machining, Carpentry, and Mechanical Engineering – a testament to their hard work and talents.

Among the winning students are Trevor Walld and Marjorie Gibas who respectively took home the gold and silver medals in the Post-Secondary Cooking Competition.

“The success of our students this year represents all of the effort they’ve put into their programs,” says Derek Kochenash, Dean, Skilled Trades and Technologies. “It is also a testament to the benefit of the knowledge-based learning with applied, hands-on experience and opportunities students get at RRC Polytech.”

All gold-medal winning students now have the chance to compete at the Skills Canada National Competition in Québec City, May 28- June 2, 2024, as a part of Team Manitoba where they will come head-to-head with winners from other provinces.

All gold-medal winning students now have the chance to compete at the Skills Canada National Competition in Québec City, May 28- June 2, 2024, as a part of Team Manitoba where they will come head-to-head with winners from other provinces.

“It is incredible to see the talents of Manitoba’s future skilled workforce,” says Maria Pacella, Executive Director, Skills Canada Manitoba. “Skills Canada Manitoba is working to change the perception of skilled trades and emerging technologies. We hold these competitions to encourage students and see them put their skills to the test. Each year we are impressed with what they accomplish.”

RRC Polytech has been a proud partner of the Skills Manitoba Competition since it first began 26 years ago and has a long history with skilled trades and technologies. What began as a one-room workshop on Henry Avenue in 1938 has since grown into one of the province’s largest institutes of applied learning – and Manitoba’s only polytechnic. RRC Polytech proudly celebrates these roots and continues to put trades and technology programs on display.

As Manitoba’s only polytechnic, RRC Polytech has a proven track record of success in training an innovative skilled trades workforce. Its Skilled Trades and Technology Centre (STTC) is a state-of-the-art, 104,000-square foot complex that houses labs, shop space and classrooms for up to 1,000 students per year in high-demand trades and technologies.

The STTC also supports technology and innovation in robotics and automation, hydraulics and pneumatics, materials, electronics, and computer aided design, and houses the Innovation Lab for applied research initiatives, and industry and student projects, as well as the Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics which was designed to tackle the primary challenges facing Manitoba’s manufacturing sector.

Results of the 2024 competition has been posted to the Skills Canada Manitoba website.