Congratulations to RRC grads Dylan Pereira (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, 2013) and Jacob Bell (Apprenticeship Bricklaying), who were both awarded Medallions of Excellence at the WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 competition in Germany earlier this month.

The men competed as part of WorldSkills Team Canada, whose 35 members (shown, above) were chosen from the thousands of contestants in provincial and national Skills Canada competitions held over the last year. In Germany, Pereira (shown, directly behind Mike Holmes) earned a medal in the Aircraft Maintenance category, while Bell (back row, fourth from left) medalled in Bricklaying.

“Preparing for WorldSkills Leipzig 2013 has required months of training, hard work and dedication,” said Shaun Thorson, CEO of Skills/Competences Canada. “We are exceptionally proud of (team members’) outstanding performance, and look forward to seeing their careers flourish.”

Leipzig 2013 represents Canada’s twelfth participation in a WorldSkills Competition, a bi-annual international event that brings together the world’s most talented skilled trades and technology competitors. This year’s Competition brought together more than 1,000 competitors from 53 member countries/regions, making it the biggest of its kind.

Hon. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, offered congratulations to all of members of Team Canada.

“You’ve proven to be the best in our country,” said Finley. “We need young people like you, who excel in your field, to bring your talent into the workforce.”

Click here for a full list of winners