Teenagers from seven high schools in the Calgary area got the chance to weld with the big boys and engage in a little friendly competition on Saturday.
The 5th Annual Calgary Welding Rodeo was held at the International Association of Boilermakers facility in the southeast, a plant that left some youth awestruck.
“It’s a really cool environment, it’s very professional. It’s really nice to come out and see a shop like this, it’s a lot different from what we’re usually in,” says Cole Lewis, a Grade 11 student at Chestermere High School.
Lewis and his companions were all able to get some welding tips from the pros, hone their own craft and even face off, that is, weld off, with other students.
“We’re competing against seven other high schools all across the Calgary Board of Education and a little further. There’s some welding competition, some cutting, various things.”
Keith Routhier, a fabrication teacher at Bishop Grandin High School, says it’s a great opportunity to get young people interested in the trade.
“It’s a fun event that we put on for the kids as a nice lead up to Skills Canada. It gets them some exposure to an industry like this. They get to meet some professionals from industry, see what it’s all about; see what the standards are.”
He says some of the activities for the day even have a St. Paddy’s Day flair.
“They have to cut out four leaves of a four-leaf clover, weld them together and it has to fit within a template with a tolerance of 1/8 of an inch. That’s your fitting experience, plus welding.”
However others are all business.
“One of the tests that they’re doing today is an actual CWB welding test, the same test that all of us welders do in the industry every few years to keep our tickets up.”
Routhier says that while many in his field experienced a really rough patch in years past, the days ahead look a bit brighter, especially because of the opportunities for students that many aren’t aware of.
“There actually are a lot of careers related to welding that people aren’t aware of. You’ve got welding engineering technology, welding inspection, materials testing. The Boilermakers’ is a whole separate ticket. There’s a myriad of opportunities for high school kids and scholarships that they are often not even aware of.”
Lewis says he intends to stick with welding and use the trade to help shape his future.
“After high school I would love to take a three-year apprenticeship with the Boilermakers’ Union and then after that, I want to get into policing.”
Skills Canada, a regional welding competition, is on April 7 at SAIT.
(With files from Brad MacLeod)
